910.452 
H71  In 
1840 


h n 2 v . Jl  1.  Library 

51 


UNiv^nsir'OF 

'LLIIviOIS  LIBRARY 

AT-  R3ANA-C.-'4'-  fRAIGN 

BOOKSTAGKS 


A NARRATIVE 


CAPTIVITY  AND  SUFFERINGS 

OF 

HORACE  HOLDEN  AND  BENJ.  H.  NUTE; 

WHO  WERE  CAST  AWAY  IN  THB 

AMERICAN  SHIP  MENTOR, 

ON  THE 

PELEW  ISLiMDS, 

IN  THE  YEAR  1832; 

AND  FOR  TWO  YEARS  AFTER  WARDS  WERE  SUBJECTED  TO 
UNHEARD  OF  SUFFERINGS  AMONG  THE  BARBAROUS 
INHABITANTS  OF 

LORD  NORTH’S  ISLAND.  ' 


BY  HORACE  HOLDEN. 


COOPERSTOWN,  N.  Y 

PUBLISHED  BY  H.  &.  E.  PHINNEY. 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS,  IN  THE  YEAR  1836, 

By  HORACE  HOLDEN. 

IN  THE  CLERK’S  OFFICE  OF  THE  DISTRICT  COURT  OF  MASSA 


CHUSETTS. 


°l]0.¥5Z 
til  //n 
)?¥0 


to 

JOHN  PICKERING,  ESQ. 

4H  Boston, 

AND  TO 

WILLIAM  R.  RODMAN,  ESQ. 

<Df  Neto  BeUfortr, 

To  whom  the  author  is  under  the  greatest  obli* 
gations  for  their  countenance  and  assist- 
ance, this  little  work  is  gratefully 
INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


The  islands  now  known  by  geographers  under  the  general 
name  of  Polynesia , have  for  some  time  past  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  scientific  and  commercial  world.  Few  oppor- 
tunities, however,  occur  of  obtaining  information  respecting 
any  of  them  except  those  which  are  resorted  to  for  commercial 
purposes.  With  a view,  therefore,  to  the  collecting  of  all  the 
necessary  materials  for  the  history  of  their  soil,  climate,  pro- 
ductions, and  other  particulars,  especially  of  such  of  them  as 
have  not  already  been  visited  by  the  civilized  people  of  Europe 
and  America,  it  is  desirable  to  preserve  all  authentic  accounts 
of  them,  even  of  those  which  are  of  inferior  importance. 

The  following  unpretending  Narrative  contains  such  an 
account  of  one  of  them,  commonly  called  Lord  North's  Island , 
but  sometimes  known  by  the  name  of  Nevil's  Island  and 
Johnston's  Island.  It  is  situated  in  about  lat.  3°  2f'  N.,  and, 
according  to  the  most  correct  calculations,  about  long.  131® 
4^  E. 

This  island  has  been  stated,  in  geographical  works  of  autho- 
rity, to  be  uninhabited;  but  Horsburg’s  India  Directory  (vol. 
ii.  p.  497,  edit,  ot  1827)  correctly  says  it  is  inhabited,  and  that 
the  natives  “will  sometimes  come  off  to  ships  passing  near.” 
And  it  will  accordingly  be  found,  by  the  present  Narrative, 
that  it  has  a population  of  between  three  and  four  hundred 
inhabitants,  as  nearly  as  could  be  estimated  by  th*3  American 
seamen,  whose  captivity  and  sufferings  are  the  subject  of  this 
work ; the  island  itself  being,  according  to  their  judgment 
also,  about  three  quarters  of  a mile  long  and  half  a mile  in 
breadth. 

The  materials  of  this  Narrative  were  furnished  by  Horace 
Holden,  one  of  the  seamen  above  mentioned,  who,  with  his 
companion,  Benjamin  Nute,  was  detained  as  a captive  by  the 
islanders  for  two  vears ; during  which  time  he  and  his  com- 
panion acquired  the  language  so  far  as  to  converse  in  it  with 
ease.  This  afforded  them  the  means  of  knowing  and  observ- 
ing manv  things  which  would  escape  the  mere  passing  voya- 
ger; ana  whatever  statements  are  here  made,  the  editor  ha*s 
every  reason  to  believe  may  be  entirely  relied  upon. 

In  order  to  complete  the  little  collection  of  facts  in  relation 
to  this  people— who  may  justly  be  called  a new  people,  as  no 
white  man  has  ever  before  been  upon  their  territory — a speci- 
men of  their  language  is  added  to  the  Narrative.  This  has 
been  made  rn^der  many  disadvantages  ; but  no  small  labor  has 


viii 


PREFACE, 


been  ocstowed  upon  it,  in  order  to  render  it  of  use,  so  far  ae 
was  practicable,  in  elucidating  the  affinity  of  these  islanders 
to  others  in  that  quarter  of  the  world.  It  is  now  universally 
agreed  among  the  learned,  that  language  affords  the  surest 
test  of  the  affinities  of  nations  ; and  it  is  greatly  to  be  desired 
that  more  attention  should  be  bestowed  upon  this  subject  by 
the  intelligent  navigators  of  the  United  States,  and  especially 
by  the  scientific  young  men  of  our  navy,  who,  under  the  per- 
mission of  the  government,  would  have  the  most  ample  moans 
of  augmenting  the  stores  of  general  science,  while  at  the  same 
time  they  would  confer  honor  upon  their  country. 

The  editor  forbears  to  add  any  thing  further  in  relation  to 
the  contents  of  this  little  volume.  But  he  cannot  dismiss  the 
work  without  again  expressing  the  high  sense  of  gratitude 
felt  by  the  two  seamen  in  question,  to  the  benevolent  indi- 
viduals of  their  own  country,  and  others,  who  have  relieved 
their  sufferings;  and  this  he  subjoins  in  an  extract  from  a 
note  on  that  subject  by  H.  Holden : — 

“ In  addition  to  the  gentlemen  mentioned  in  the  Narrative, 
we  are  under  great  obligations  to  Mr.  Stephen  Oliphant  and 
his  son,  and  their  clerk,  of  New  York,  who  were  residents  at 
Canton  when  we  arrived  there.  Mr.  Oliphant  kindly  furnished 
us  with  a room,  food,  and  other  necessaries,  and  gave  us  our 

Sassage  from  Canton  to  New  York  in  his  ship  called  the 
lor ri son,  commanded  by  captain  Lavender,  from  whom  also 
we  experienced  every  attention. 

“ The  respected  American  missionary  at  Canton,  Mr.  Edwin 
Stevens,  rendered  us  many  friendly  services ; and  from  the 
English  physician,  who  was  formerly  in  the  East  India  Com*- 
pany’s  service  there,  but  whose  name  I do  not  recollect,  we 
received  every  attention  and  medical  aid  that  could  have  been 
bestowed  on  his  nearest  friends. 

“ We  are  also  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Bradford  and  Mr. 
Robert  E.  Apthorp.  both  of  Boston,  for  their  many  acts  of 
kindness.  To  the  latter  gentleman,  then  a resident  at  Can- 
ton, I cannot  sufficiently  express  my  obligations ; he  interested 
himself  mqch  in  obtaining  money,  .clothing,  and  other  neces- 
saries for  ns,  to  make  our  situation  comfortable  during  our 
stay  in  Canton  and  on  our  passage  home. 

“ To  the  many  friends  whom  we  have  found  since  our  return 
to  our  own  country  ,we  can  never  be  sufficiently  grateful. 
Among  these  I .cannot  .omit  to  mention  Mr.  J.  N.  Reynolds, 
author  of  the  interesting  Account  of  the  Voyage  of  the  Poto- 
mac, who  has  taken  the  most  lively  interest  in  our  case}  and 


to  exprws. 


HORACE  HOLDEN.” 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Equipment  and  departure  of  the  ship  Mentor  from  the  port  of 
New  Bedford,  Massachusetts. — The  ship’s  company. — Ar- 
rival at  Fayal. — Passage  down  the  Cape  de  Verd  islands, 
and  round  the  cape  of  Good  Hope,  to  the  Indian  ocean. — 
Cruising  among  the  islands,  and  arrival  at  the  port  of  Cou- 
pang,  in  Timor. — A violent  storm. — The  ship  strikes  on  a 
coral  reef  off  the  Pelew  islands. — Alarm  and  distressing 
situation  of  the  ship’s  company,  and  sudden  loss  of  eleven 
of  their  number. — The  survivors  preserved  upon  a dry  part 
of  the  reef 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

'Jhe  situation  of  the  survivors  of  the  ship’s  company  upon  the 
reef  during  the  night. — A canoe  filled  with  savage  natives 
approaches  the  reef ; intercourse  with  them ; and  descrip- 
tion of  their  persons  and  terrific  appearance. — Their  pilfer- 
ing of  the  articles  saved,  and  plundering  of  the  ship. — Se- 
veral canoes  arrive. — Mr.  Nute’s  resolute  conduct  to- 
wards the  natives. — The  ship’s  company  pursue  their 
course,  in  their  boat,  towards  an  island,  on  which  they  land 
after  severe  suffering  . „ 29 

CHAPTER  III. 

A canoe,  with  two  natives,  approaches  the  island. — Commu- 
tation opened  with  them  — A great  number  of  canoes, 


X 


CONTENTS. 


filled  with  armed  natives,  suddenly  arrive ; rough  treatment 
of  the  captain  by  one  of  the  chiefs. — They  all  arrive  at  the 
harbor  of  the  island,  which  proved  to  be  one  of  the  Pelew 
islands. — Description  of  the  island  and  its  inhabitants.— 
Consultation  of  the  chiefs  respecting  the  ship’s  company. — 
Result  of  the  consultation ......  41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

An  extraordinary  and  unexpected  meeting  with  a person  not  a 
native. — Happy  result  of  the  meeting. — Acquisition  of  the 
Pelew  language. — Dissensions  between  two  portions  of  the 
natives. — Three  of  the  ship’s  company  separated  and  carried 
to  a place  remote  from  the  rest. — Attempt  to  construct  a 
boat,  in  order  to  leave  the  island. — The  natives  agree  to  re- 
lease them  all  for  a compensation. — Solemnities  observed* 
by  the  natives  on  the  occasion. — Tools  used  in  making  the 
boat;  transportation  of  timber,  &c. — The  plan  abandoned, 
and  a canoe  substituted  for  the  boat. — Another  festival  . 55 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  natives  become  anxious  to  aid  the  ship’s  compan)  m 
leaving  the  island. — Terms  on  which  they  agreed  to  release 
them. — Departure  from  the  Pelew  islands. — Necessity  of 
returning  the  same  night. — Detention  a month  longer ; and' 
final  departure ► . 63 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Regret  at  having  undertaken  the  voyage  in  boats. — Storm, 
and  damage  in  consequence  of  it. — Loss  of  the  canoe  and 
the  provisions  on  board. — Danger  of  perishing  from  famine. 
— On  the  fifteenth  day,  when  nearly  exhausted  with  fatigue 
and  hunger,  they  discover  a small  island. — Approach  of  eigh- 
teen canoes  filled  with  natives,  who  make  prisoners  of  them 
all. — Cruelty  of  the  natives  ; and  return  with  their  prison- 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


ers  to  the  island. — Reception  there. — The  prisoners  dis- 
tributed among  the  captors 74 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  island,  to  which  they  were  carried,  proves  to  be  Lord 
North’s  island,  called  by  the  natives  To'bee. — Account  ol  the 
island  and  it$  inhabitants. — Their  manners  and  customs  81 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A ship  discovered  at  a small  distance  from  the  island. — The 
natives  prepare  to  go  onboard  of  her. — Captain  Barnard  and 
Bartlet  Rollins,  after  being  severely  beaten,  are  allowed  to 
go  with  the  natives  in  their  canoes,  and  thus  effect  their 
escape  ; the  rest  of  the  Mentor’s  people  are  still  forcibly  de- 
tained on  the  island. — Their  hopes  of  being  taken  on  board 
of  the  same  ship  are  suddenly  blasted. — Their  despondency 
on  that  disappointment. — Return  of  the  natives  from  the 
ship  ; their  rage,  and  quarrels  about  the  division  of  the  arti- 
cles procured  on  board  of  her. — They  threaten  to  wreak 
iheir  vengeance  on  the  Mentor’s  people  that  remained  with 
them. — Their  cruel  treatment  of  them. — A storm  destroys 
the  cocoa-nut  trees  and  causes  a scarcity  of  food  . . . 95- 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  natives  compel  the  Mentor’s  people  to  be  tattooed. — De- 
scription of  that  painful  operation. — They  also  oblige  them 
to  pluck  their  beards,  &c. — Another  vessel  passes  by  the 
island ; and,  afterwards,  a third  comes  in  sight  and  remains 
for  three  days ; the  Mentor’s  people  are  closely  guarded  at 
these  times. — The  melancholy  fate  of  William  Sedon; 
and  the  barbarous  murder  of  Peter  Andrews. — Attack  on  H. 
Holden,  who  is  protected  by  one  of  the  natives,  and  escapes. 
— B.  Nute  and  others  are  protected  by  the  female  natives 
from  the  fury  of  the  men. — Death  of  one  of  the  Pelew  chief*. 


Xii 


CONTENTS. 


^—Another  of  the  Pelew  people  is  detected  in  stealing,  and 
is  punished  in  their  manner. — Death  of  Milton  Hewlet 
and  Charles  C.  Bouket;  leaving  now  only  B.  Nute,  H. 
Holden,  and  the  other  Pelew  chief,  named  Kobaky  who  all 
remained  in  a feeble  and  helpless  condition. — Filthy  prac- 
tices of  the  natives. — Friendship  of  the  surviving  Pelew 
chief 101 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  feeble  and  exhausted  condition  of  the  survivors,  Nute  and 
Holden. — The  natives  consent  to  release  them  from  labor, 
but  refuse  them  food ; and  they  obtain  permission  to  leave 
the  island  in  the  first  vessel,  for  a compensation  to  be  made 
to  the  natives. — They  crawl  about  from  place  to  place,  sub- 
sisting upon  leaves,  and  occasionally  begging  a little  food 
4)f  the  natives,  for  two  months. — Their  sudden  joy  at  hear- 
ing of  a vessel  coming  towards  the  island. — It  proves  to  be 
the  British  barque  Britannia,  captain  Short,  bound  to  Can- 
ton.— They  are  taken  on  board  the  Britannia,  November  27, 
1834,  and  treated  with  the  kindest  attention. — Their  joy  and 
gratitude  at  this  happy  termination  of  their  sufferings. — 
They  gradually  recover  their  health  so  far  as  to  take  passage 
for  America,  in  the  ship  Morrison,  bound  for  New  York 
where  they  arrive  May  5,  1835. — Acknowledgments  for 
.their  kind  reception  at  New  York  and  Boston  . • . . ill 


NARRATIVE,  &c. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Equipment  and  departure  of  the  ship  Mentor  from  the  port  of 
New  Bedford,  Massachusetts. — The  ship’s  company. — Ar- 
rival at  Fayal. — Passage  down  the  Cape  de  Verd  islands, 
and  round  the  cape  of  Good  Hope,  to  the  Indian  ocean.— 
Cruising  among  the  islands,  and  arrival  at  the  port  of  Cou- 
pang,  in  Timor. — A violent  storm. — The  ship  strikes  on  "a 
coral  reef  off  the  Pelew  islands. — Alarm  and  distressing 
situation  of  the  ship’s  company,  and  sudden  loss  of  eleven 
of  their  number. — The  survivors  preserved  upon  a dry  part 
of  the  reef. 

I was  born  in  the  town  of  Hillsborough, 
in  the  state  of  New  Hampshire,  on  the  21st 
of  July,  1810.  My  father’s  name  was  Phi- 
Yieas  Holden.  My  parents  were  in  mode- 
rate circumstances,  and  derived  their  chief 
support  from  a small  farm.  From  the  time 
to  which  my  earliest  recollections  extend, 
until  I was  about  ten  years  of  age,  our  little 


14 


NARRATIVE. 


circle,  consisting  of  our  parents,  their  three 
soils  and  two  daughters,  enjoyed  a large 
share  of  the  pleasures  of  a New  England 
home.  We  were  all  accustomed  to  labor, 
but  our  exertions  to  secure  a respectable 
maintenance  were  richly  rewarded  by  each 
other’s  approving  smiles,  and  by  that  con- 
tentment, without  which  blessings,  however 
great  or  numerous,  are  bestowed  upon  us 
in  vain. 

But,  in  early  life,  and  in  the  midst  of  our 
enjoyments,  we  were  called  upon  to  expe- 
rience a loss  which  nothing  on  earth  can 
supply.  My  father,  after  a painful  sickness 
of  long  continuance,  died,  and  left  us  with 
no  other  earthly  protector  than  our  affec- 
tionate mother;  who,  had  her  ability  and 
means  been  adequate  to  our  support,  or 
equal  to  her  maternal  fondness  and  anxiety, 
would  have  saved  us  from  every  hardship, 
and  supplied  all  our  reasonable  desires.  But, 
having  no  means  of  support  except  our  own 
industry,  we  were  at  that  tender  age  thrown 
upon  the  world,  and  compelled  to  provide 
for  ourselves  as  Providence  might  best  ena- 


NARRATIVE. 


15 


ble  us.  I labored  at  different  occupations 
until  the  age  of  twenty-one ; when,  finding 
myself  unable,  by  reason  of  an  impaired 
constitution,  to  do  more  than  provide  for 
myself,  and  feeling  desirous  to  contribute 
my  share  towards  the  maintenance  of  our 
surviving  parent,  I resolved  upon  making 
the  experiment  of  a voyage  at  sea. 

I accordingly  left  the  place  of  my  na- 
tivity, sundered  the  many  ties  that  bound 
me  to  home  and  friends,  and,  in  July,  1831, 
entered  on  board  the  ship  Mentor,  at  the 
port  of  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  for  a 
whaling  voyage  to  the  Indian  ocean.  The 
ship  was  owned  by  William  R.  Rodman, 
Esquire,  an  eminent  merchant  of  that  place, 
to  whose  benevolence,  since  my  return 
home,  I acknowledge  myself  to  be  deeply  in- 
debted. We  sailed  on  the  day  of  my  en- 
listment ; and  I soon  found  myself  upon  the 
bosom  of  the  great  deep,  and  at  the  mercy 
of  an  element  to  which  I had  been  but  little 
accustomed. 

The  whole  ship’s  company  of  the  Mentor 
consisted  of  twenty-two;  namely,  Edward 


16 


NARRATIVE. 


C.  Barnard,  captaiil  ; Thomas  M.  Coles- 
worthy, first  mate ; Peter  O’Connor,  second 
mate  ; Benjamin  F.  Haskell,  David  Jenkins, 
and  Jacob  Fisher,  boat-steerers ; Peter  An- 
drews, steward ; John  Mayo,  cook  ; and  Ho- 
rati’o  Davis,  Bartlet  Rollins,  William  Jones, 
Thomas  Taylor,  Lewis  Bergoin,  Charles  C. 
Bouket,  Calvin  Alden,  Milton  Hulet,  Wil- 
liam Sedon,  James  Meder,  James  Black- 
more,  John  Baily,  Benjamin  H.  Nute,  (my 
companion  in  suffering,)  and  myself,  sea- 
men. 

After  leaving  port,  nothing  remarkable 
occurred  during  the  first  part  of  our  voyage. 
Having  succeeded  in  obtaining  a small 
quantity  of  oil,  we  touched  at  Fayal,  one  of 
the  Azores,  or  Western  islands,  to  leave  the 
oil  and  replenish  our  stores.  We  left  Fayal 
on  the  following  day.  Our  course  was  down 
the  Cape  de  Yerd  islands  ; and,  without  any 
accident  worth  relating,  we  passed  round 
the  cape  of  Good  Hope,  through  the  straits 
of  Madagascar,  and  found  ourselves  in  the 
Indian  ocean. 

We  continued  to  cruise  among  the  small 


NARRATIVE. 


17 


islands  for  some  time  ; but  being  unsuccess- 
ful in  the  object  of  our  voyage,  it  was  deem- 
ed advisable  to  make  for  Java.  We  ran  the 
whole  length  of  the  island  of  Java,  passing 
through  the  straits  of  Sandal- Wood  Island, 
to  the  island  of  Timor,  and  touched  at  the 
port  of  Coupang,  where  we  remained  about 
five  days,  took  in  wood  and  water,  and  re- 
plenished our  small  stores.  After  leaving 
that  place  we  attempted  to  pass  through  the 
straits  of  Timor,  with  a view  of  gaining  the 
Pacific  ocean ; but  owing  to  adverse  winds, 
and  the  strong  currents  setting  against  us, 
we  were  compelled  to  abandon  the  under- 
taking ; and  accordingly  altered  our  course. 
We  intended  to  have  touched  at  Ternate, 
the  principal  of  the  Moluccas  or  Spice  ish 
ands ; but  we  passed  it,  running  down  the 
island  of  Morty,  (or  Mortay)  to  its  further- 
most point.  Seeing  no  port  at  which  we 
could  stop,  we  altered  our  course,  intending 
to  make  for  some  of  the  Ladrone  islands, 
which  we  knew  to  be  in  possession  of  the 
Spanish. 

I must  here  observe,  that  soon  after  leav- 
a 


18 


NARRATIVE. 


ing  the  island  of  Mortay,  there  came  on  a 
violent  storm,  which  lasted  the  whole  of 
three  days  and  nights.  During  all  this  time 
we  were  unable  to  take  an  observation. 
This  led  to  the  melancholy  disaster,  which 
was  the  commencement  of  misfortunes 
and  sufferings,  too  great  to  be  adequately 
conceived  of  by  any  but  those  who  expe- 
rienced them.  The  violence  of  the  storm 
compelled  us  to  take  in  all  the  sails  except 
the  top-sail,  (which  was  close  reefed,)  fore- 
sail, and  foretop-mast  stay-sail. 

We  were  sailing  in  this  manner,  not  ap- 
prehending danger,  when,  about  eleven 
o’clock  at  night,  on  the  21st  of  May,  1832, 
just  at  the  time  of  relieving  the  watch,  the 
ship  struck  with  great  violence  upon  what 
we  afterwards  found  to  be  the  coral  reef 
extending  to  the  northward  and  eastward 
of  the  Pelew  islands.  The  ship  ran  di- 
rectly upon  the  rocks,  and  struck  three  times 
in  quick  succession,  the  waves  dashing  over 
and  around  us  with  tremendous  violence. 

At  this  awful  moment  I was  in  my  berth, 
in  the  steerage.  When  the  ship  struck  the 


NARRATIVE. 


19 


third  time,  so  great  was  the  shock  that  1 
was  thrown  from  my  berth  against  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  steerage ; but,  soon  recover- 
ing myself,  I rushed  upon  deck.  There  all 
was  confusion,  horror  and  dismay.  The 
ship,  immediately  after  striking  the  third 
time,  swung  round  so  as  to  bring  her  star- 
board side  to  the  windward,  and  was  in  a 
moment  thrown  upon  her  beam  ends.  While 
in  this  awful  condition,  with  the  waves  con- 
tinually breaking  over  us,  threatening  to 
overwhelm  us  in  a watery  grave,  or  dash 
us  in  pieces  against  the  rocks,  the  captain 
came  upon  deck,  and  inquired  of  the  second 
mate,  “ Where  are  we?”  The  reply  was, 
“ I don’t  know,  but  I think  there  is  land  to 
leeward.”  There  was  no  time  for  delibera- 
tion ; it  seemed  that  the  immediate  destruc- 
tion of  the  ship  was  inevitable. 

In  the  midst  of  this  confusion  I heard 
the  mate  give  orders  for  lowering  the  lar- 
board quarter  boat.  His  directions  were 
immediately  complied  with,  and  ten  of  the 
crew  threw  themselves  into-  it,  thinking  it 
more  safe  thus  to  commit  themselves  to  the 


20 


NARRATIVE. 


mercy  of  the  waves,  than  to  remain  on  board 
with  the  prospect  of  a certain  and  speedy 
termination  of  their  existence.  But  there 
are  reasons  which  force  upon  the  mind  the 
painful  conviction,  that  their  departure  from 
the  ship  at  that  time  proved  fatal  to  them 
all.  As  the  oars  were  fastened  to  the  sides 
of  the  boat,  some  one  asked  for  a knife  or 
hatchet,  with  which  to  cut  them  loose.  The 
request  was  complied  with ; and,  quitting 
their  hold  upon  the  ship,  they  parted  from 
us,  and  we  never  saw  them  more  ! 

As  some  doubts  have  existed  in  the  minds 
of  those  interested  in  the  fate  of  our  ship- 
mates who  took  to  the  boat  in  the  manner 
just  described,  it  is  deemed  advisable  here 
to  state  my  reasons  for  entertaining  the 
opinion  above  expressed.  Far  would  it  be 
from  me  to  desire  to  extinguish  any  well- 
founded  hopes  of  their  having  survived ; but 
a knowledge  of  the  following  facts  renders 
it  too  certain,  that  they  must  all  have  perish- 
ed, soon  after  their  departure  from  the  ship. 
The  next  morning  the  remains  of  a boat  in 
every  respect  similar  to  that  in  which  they 


NARRATIVE. 


21 


embarked,  were  distinctly  seen  on  the  rocks, 
at  the  distance  of  about  fifty  yards  from  the 
ship,  bottom  up,  and  with  her  sides  stove  in. 
The  water  being  clear  and  shallo  w,  we  could 
see  that  she  was  held  there  by  a harpoon 
and  lance,  which  constituted  a part  of  the 
fishing  implements,  or  crafts,  in  the  boat 
when  she  left.  These  were  apparently 
stuck  into  the  crevices  of  the  coral  rock  (of 
which  the  whole  reef  is  composed)  either  by 
accident  or  design  ; and  the  presumption  is, 
that  she  became  fast  in  that  place,  and  that 
the  waves  swept  that  portion  of  our  compa- 
nions in  suffering  into  a watery  grave.  But 
this,  though  a melancholy  subject  of  re- 
flection, is  not  without  some  circumstances 
of  consolation ; for,  admitting  that  they  thus 
met'  their  fate,  they  were  saved  from  that  ex- 
tremity of  suffering  which  some  of  the  ship’s 
crew  were  destined  to  experience.  Were 
such  a death,  or  the  pains  of  captivity  en- 
dured by  my  associates  and  myself,  to  be 
the  only  alternatives,  I have  doubted  whe- 
ther I should  not  prefer  the  former.  To  be 
far  from  kindred  and  friends,  among  a peo- 
B 


22 


NARRATIVE. 


pie  but  one  grade  above  the  most  ferocious 
beasts,  sick  at  heart,  and  deprived  of  neces- 
sary food,  stripped  of  our  clothing,  and 
subjected  to  unheard-of  severities, — to  endure 
all  this,  was  to  purchase  a continuance  of 
life  at  a dear  rate. 

Soon  after  the  departure  of  the  first  boat, 
the  captain,  thinking  it  impossible  for  the 
ship  to  hold  together  till  morning,  ordered 
his  own  boat  to  be  let  down.  This  could  be 
effected  only  by  the  united  exertions  of  the 
whole  of  the  remaining  part  of  the  crew. 
Some  of  the  men,  and  myself  among  the 
rest,  had  resolved  upon  remaining  on  the 
ship  to  the  last;  and,  considering  it  impossi- 
ble for  a boat  to  live,  we  earnestly  expostu- 
lated with  the  captain,  for  the  purpose  of 
persuading  him  not  to  hazard  the  experi- 
ment. But  he  seemed  to  think  it  best  to 
make  it,  and  with  great  earnestness  entreated 
the  men  to  assist  him  in  lowering  his  boat. 
As  this  was  a time  when  but  little  attention 
could  be  paid  to  the  distinctions  usually 
kept  up  on  board,  I suggested  that  it  might 
be  well  to  cut  away  the  masts,  believing 


NARRATIVE. 


23 


that  this  would  relieve  the  ship,  and  cause 
her  to  lie  easier  upon  the  rock.  This  was 
the  more  necessary  on  account  of  her  posi- 
tion being  such  as  to  render  it  next  to  im- 
possible to  let  down  the  boat.  The  proposal 
was  acceded  to ; and,  seizing  an  axe,  I as- 
sisted in  cutting  away  the  masts  and  rig- 
ging. This,  to  some  extent,  had  the  desired 
effect;  and  we  were  enabled,  at  length,  by 
great  exertion,  to  lower  the  boat.  The  cap- 
tain, Charles  C.  Bouket,  William  Sedon, 
and  William  Jones,  immediately  placed 
themselves  in  it,  and  commenced  preparing 
to  leave  us.  In  compliance  with  his  re- 
quest, a rope  was  fastened  round  the  waist 
of  the  captain,  so  that  should  the  boat  be 
destroyed,  as  there  was  reason  to  apprehend 
she  would  be,  there  might  be  some  chance 
of  rescuing  him  from  the  waves.  They 
were  furnished  with  the  necessary  nautical 
instruments,  log-book,  a bag  of  clothing,  a 
small  quantity  of  bread  in  a tin  tureen,  and 
a keg  of  water.  The  boat  was  at  this  time 
suspended  by  her  falls,  and,  with  a view  of 
letting  themselves  down,  the  captain  stood 


24 


NARRATIVE. 


in  the  stern,  and  Bouket  in  the  forward  part 
of  the  boat,  both  having  hold  of  the  falls. 
Sedon  still  held  on  by  the  boat’s  lashing. 
Jones  had  nothing  in  his  hands.  At  this 
conjuncture,  a tremendous  sea  broke  into  the 
boat,  and  dashed  it  in  pieces ; — so  entire 
was  the  destruction,  that  not  a fragment 
was  afterwards  seen.  Jones  was  soon  after 
seen  floating  in  the  water  apparently  dead. 
Sedon,  in  consequence  of  having  hold  of  the 
boat’s  fastenings,  saved  himself  by  climbing 
into  the  ship.  Bouket,  being  an  expert 
swimmer,  on  finding  himself  in  the  sea, 
swam  round  to.  the  leeward  side  of  the  ship, 
caught  hold  of  some  part  of  the  rigging,  and 
thus  escaped.  The  captain  was  drifted 
away  to  the  distance  of  nearly  one  hundred 
and  fifty  yards.  It  was  with  the  utmost 
difficulty  that  we  retained  our  hold  on  the 
rope  which  had  been  fastened  to  him;  but 
at  length  we  succeeded  in  drawing  him  in. 
Dn  hearing  his  cries  for  assistance,  forget- 
ting our  own  danger,  we  redoubled  our  ex- 
ertions, and  soon  drew  him  on  board.  He 
was  much  exhausted,  but  fortunately  had 
received  no  fatal  injury. 


NARRATIVE. 


25 


After  the  failure  of  this  attempt,  and  hav- 
ing in  so  short  a time  lost  one  half  our  num- 
ber, it  was  agreed  upon,  after  due  consulta- 
tion to  remain  upon  the  wreck  till  daylight 
should  reveal  to  us  more  fully  our  situation. 
In  this  state  of  suspense  and  suffering,  we 
clung  to  the  rigging,  and  with  much  diffi- 
culty kept  ourselves  from  being  washed 
away.  Our  situation  and  prospects  during 
that  awful  night  were  such,  that  no  ray  of 
hope  was  permitted  to  penetrate  the  dreary 
prospect  around  us  ; our  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings, wrought  up  to  the  highest  degree  of 
excitement  by  the  horrors  of  our  situation, 
continually  visited  the  homes  we  had 
quitted, — probably  forever, — and  offered  up 
prayers  for  the  dear  friends  we  had  left  be- 
hind. Every  succeeding  wave  that  dashed 
over  us  threatened  to  sweep  us  into  an  un- 
tried eternity ; and  while  we  impatiently 
awaited  approaching  day,  we  committed 
our  spirits  to  Him  who  alone  could  control 
the  raging  elements. 

At  daybreak,  we  discovered  that  a part 
of  the  reef,  apparently  about  three  miles  off 


26 


NARRATIVE. 


to  the  leeward,  was  dry ; and  this,  though  but 
of  small  consequence,  afforded  us  some  com- 
fort. In  a short  time  we  discovered  land  at 
the  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles,  in  an 
eastwardly  direction.  This,  though  we  were 
ignorant  of  the  character  of  the  inhabitants 
— if  indeed  it  should  turn  out  to  be  the  resi- 
dence of  human  beings — presented  to  our 
minds  the  possibility  of  escape ; and  with- 
out any  delay  we  prepared,  as  well  as  we 
could,  to  abandon  the  vessel.  There  re- 
mained but  one  boat,  and  that  was  in  a 
poor  condition  for  conveying  us,  eleven  in 
number,  so  great  a distance.  But,  as  no 
choice  was  left,  us,  the  boat  was  soon  pre- 
pared ; and  when  the  sun  was  about  two 
hours  high,  we  had  completed  our  arrange- 
ments. We  took  into  the  boat  one  small 
chest  of  bread,  some  water,  a quantity  of 
wearing  apparel,  a canister  of  gunpowder, 
one  musket,  a brace  of  pistols,  three  cutlas- 
ses, and  a tinder-box.  In  this  frail  bark, 
and  with  these  poor  means  of  subsistence 
and  defence,  with  little  to  rely  upon  but  the 
mercy  of  Providence,  we  took  leave  of  the 


NARRATIVE. 


27 


ship ; not  without  feelings  of  deep  sorrow, 
and  with  small  hopes  of  improving  our  for- 
lorn condition. 

On  leaving  the  ship  we  steered  directly 
for  the  reef  above  mentioned,  and  without 
much  difficulty  landed  and  drew  up  our 
boat.  This  proved  to  be,  as  we  had  previ- 
ously conjectured,  a part  of  the  reef  upon 
which  we  had  been  wrecked  ; and  we  soon 
ascertained  that  the  portion  of  the  rock  above 
water  was  but  about  sixteen  rods  long,  and 
quite  narrow,  but  sufficiently  large  to  afford 
us  a secure  footing  for  the  little  time  we  had 
to  stay  upon  it.  It  was  our  first,  and  almost 
our  only  object,  to  remain  here  until  we 
could  render  our  arrangements  more  perfect, 
and  either  put  to  sea  with  less  hazard,  or 
make  our  passage  to  the  land,  which  was 
still  distinctly  visible.  As  yet  but  little  time 
had  been  afforded  us  for  calm  reflection; 
and  it  was  now  a question  of  serious  impor- 
tance, whether  it  would  be  most  prudent  to 
encounter  the  billows  in  the  crazy  boat 
which  was  our  chief  dependence,  upon  the 
open  sea,  with  our  scanty  means  of  subsis- 


28 


NARRATIVE. 


tence,  or  to  throw  ourselves  into  the  hands, 
and  upon  the  mercy  of  whatever  race  of  be- 
ings might  chance  to  inhabit  the  island.  In 
favor  of  the  former  plan  it  was  suggested 
that  we  might  be  seen,  and  taken  up  by 
some  vessel  cruising  in  those  seas,  and  thus 
saved  from  captivity  or  death  among  a bar- 
barous people ; and,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
was  maintained,  that  a chance  among  the 
savages  of  those  islands  would  be  preferable 
to  the  risk  of  going  to  sea  in  a boat  which 
was  in  all  respects  unsea  worthy,  and  with 
only  a few  pounds  of  bread,  and  but  little 
water,  for  our  subsistence. 


CHAPTER  II. 


The  situation  of  the- survivors  of  the  ship’s  company  upon  the 
reef  during  the  night. — A canoe  filled  with  savage  natives 
approaches  the  reef;  intercourse  with  them;  and  descrip- 
tion of  their  persons  and  terrific  appearance. — Their  pilfer- 
ing of  the  articles  saved,  and  plundering  of  the  ship. — Se- 
veral canoes  arrive.— Mr.  Nute’s  resolute  conduct  to- 
wards the  natives. — The  ship’s  company  pursue  their 
course,  in  their  boat,-  towards  an  island,  on  which  they  land 
after  severe  suffering. 

Happily,  by  the  goodness  of  the  allwise 
Disposer  of  events,  the  unfortunate  canavail 
themselves  of  a thousand  sources  of  comfort, 
which,  by  those  in  prosperous  circumstances, 
are  either  overlooked  or  neglected.  We 
were  upon  a barren  rock,  in  the  midst  of  a 
waste  of  waters,  far  from  kindred  and 
friends,  and  the  abodes  of  civilized  man;  the 
ship  which  had  been  our  home,  and  on  board 
of  which  we  had  embarked  with  high  hopes, 
lay  within  sight,  a useless  wreck;  still  we 
were  enabled  to  enjoy  a moment  of  relief, 
if  not  of  actual  pleasure,  derived  from  an 
3# 


30 


NARRATIVE. 


event,  which,  though  trifling  in  itself,  is 
worthy  of  being  recorded. 

We  succeeded  in  taking  an  eel,  a few 
crabs,  and  a small  quantity  of  snails.  Hav- 
ing our  fire-works  with  us,  we  collected 
a sufficient  number  of  sticks,  with  a few 
pieces  of  drift-wood  which  had  lodged  upon 
the  rock,  to  make  a fire*  with  this  we 
cooked  our  fish  and  snails  ; and,  with  a 
small  allowance  of  bread,  we  made  what  we 
then  thought  a sumptuous  repast ! After 
we  had  finished  our  meal,  we  began  to  pre- 
pare for  the  night.  We  erected  a tent  with 
some  of  our  clothes  and  pieces  of  canvas,  at 
a little  distance  from  the  boat ; and,  when 
night  came  on,  a part  of  our  number  kept 
watch,  and  the  rest  soon  lost  all  consciousness 
of  their  misfortunes  in  sleep.  About  midnight 
those  who  had  watched  took  their  turn  at 
resting;  and  in  the  morning  we  found  our- 
selves considerably  refreshed ; though  an 
increased  activity  of  our  minds  served  only 
to  bring  home  a more  vivid  picture  of  the 
horrors  of  the  previous  night,  and  of  our 
present  condition. 

Providence,  it  would  seem,  had  ordained 


NARRATIVE. 


31 


that  we  should  not  long  remain  undetermin- 
ed as  to  the  course  to  be  adopted ; for  be- 
fore sunrise  we  discovered  a canoe  within  a 
short  distance, of  us,  containing  twenty- two 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighboring  island. 
They  approached  to  within  pistol-shot  of 
where  we  stood,  and  there  lay  on  their  oars 
for  some  time,  looking  at  us,  and  manifest- 
ing no  small  degree  of  fear.  Thinking  it 
best  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  them,  we 
• attached  a shirt  to  one  of  our  oars,  and  hoist- 
ed it  as  a token  of  a wish,  on  our  part,  to 
regard  and  treat  them  as  friends.  This  had 
the  desired  effect ; and  they  immediately 
rowed  up  to  the  rock.  Manifesting  great 
pleasure,  they  left  their  canoe  and  rushed 
towards  the  place  where  the  principal  part 
of  our  boat’s  crew  were  standing,  bringing 
with  them  cocoa-nuts,  and  a small  quantity 
of  bread  made  of  the  cocoa-nut  boiled  in  a 
liquor  extracted  from  the  trunk  of  the  tree. 
At  that  time,  I was  standing  near  the  tent, 
at  a little  distance  from  my  companions,  and 
was  an  anxious  spectator  of  the  scene. 
Their  appearance  excited  my  astonishment, 


32 


NARRATIVE. 


and  I was  filled  with  horror  by  the  sight 
of  beings  apparently  human,  and  yet  almost 
destitute  of  the  ordinary  marks  of  humanity. 
They  were  entirely  naked.  Each  one  was 
armed  with  a spear  and  tomahawk ; some 
had  battle-axes.  They  were  fantastically 
tattooed  on  different  parts  of  their  bodies. 
Their  hair,  naturally  coarse  and  black,  like 
that  of  the  Indians  of  America,  was  very 
long,  and  hung  loosely  over  their  shoul- 
ders, giving  them  a singular  and  frightful 
appearance.  Their  teeth  were  entirely  black ; 
rendered  so,  as  we  afterwards  found,  by 
chewing  what  they  call  “ abooak The 
reader  can  judge  of  our  feelings  on  finding 
ourselves  in  the  hands  of  beings  of  this  de- 
scription. ' Our  confidence  in  the  honesty  of 
our  visiters  did  not  improve  on  further  ac- 
quaintance. 

No  sooner  had  they  landed,-  than  they 
commenced  their  depredations  upon  the  few 
articles,  which  at  that  time  constituted  all 
our  earthly  riches.  The  nautical  instru- 

* In  Keate’s  Account  of  the  Pelpw  Islands  this  word  is 
written  poof;. — Edit. 


Narrative. 


33 


ments,  the  musket,  and  a part  of  our  cloth- 
ing, they  immediately  appropriated  to  their 
own  benefit.  Fortunately  a part  of  our 
clothing,  the  powder,  and  the  cutlasses  we 
had  succeeded  in  concealing  in  a crevice  of 
the  rock.  Taking  with  them  their  booty, 
they  precipitately  got  into  their  canoe,  and, 
beckoning  . to  us,  evidently  with  a view  of  in- 
ducing us  to  follow  them,  they  steered  di- 
rectly for  the  wreck.  Their  first  appear- 
ance, and  this  strong  manifestation  of  their 
thievish  disposition,  so  far  from  inclining  us 
to  cultivate  their  acquaintance  any  further, 
had  given  us  an  irresistible  inclination  to 
avoid  them.  Our  minds  were  not  long  in 
coming  to  the  conclusion,  that  an  open  sea, 
with  Heaven  to  protect  us,  would  be  far 
preferable  to  a chance  among  beings  like 
those.  Accordingly,  with  the  least  possible 
delay,  we  launched  our  boat,  and  putting 
into  it  such  things  of  value  as  we  had  saved, 
once  more,  surrounded  by  new  difficulties 
and  dangers,  committed  ourselves  to  the 
mercy  of  the  waves. 

The  island  before  mentioned  being  now 


34 


NARRATIVE. 


distinctly  visible,  we  steered  in  a direction 
towards  it;  though  we  found  it  necessary 
to  go  a somewhat  circuitous  course,  in  order 
to  avoid  the  reef.  By  the  time  we  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  into  deep  water,  the  na- 
tives had  been  to  the  ship,  and  were  return- 
ing with  the  five  muskets  which  we  had 
left  on  board.  They  soon  passed  us  with 
great  rapidity,  and  evidently  with  the  in- 
tention of  escaping  with  their  booty  un- 
harmed. The  cause  of  their  precipitancy 
will  soon  be  explained. 

Just  at  this  time  there  came  in  sight  a 
number  of  canoes,  perhaps  thirty,  filled  with 
natives,  who  seemed  no  less  intent  upon 
plunder  than  those  with  whom  we  had  al- 
ready formed  a disagreeable  acquaintance. 
Their  language  was  to  us  entirely  unintelli- 
gible, but  we  could  gather  from  their  some- 
what significant  gestures,  that  they  most  of 
all  desired  to  possess  themselves  Qf  fire-arms. 
They  beckoned  to  us  to  go  with  them,  and 
seemed  quite  anxious  to  a Vail  themselves  of 
our  assistance ; but  we  were  not  less  so  to 
escape ; and  with  the  hope  of  being  able  to 


NARRATIVE. 


35 


do  so,  we  continued  to  row  towards  the  isl- 
and. Some  of  them  remained  near  us,  while 
the  rest  made  for  the  ship.  At  length,  all, 
except  those  in  one  canoe,  left  us,  and  joined 
their  companions.  These  seemed  particu- 
larly fond  of  our  company,  partly  on  ac- 
count, as  we  afterwards  learned,  of  their 
suspecting  that  we  had  something  of  valuer 
concealed  about  us,  and  partly  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  us  their  prisoners,  and  in 
that  way  gaining  some  advantage  over  the 
others.  After  a while  they  offered,  with  an 
appearance  of  friendship,  to  render  us  some 
assistance  by  towing  our  boat ; and  after 
some  deliberation  we  concluded  to  throw 
them  a line.  This  greatly  facilitated  our 
progress,  as  their  canoe,  being  made  very 
light,  skimmed  over  the  water  with  incredi- 
ble swiftness.  No  sooner  was  this  arrange- 
ment completed  than  a chief,  and  one  other 
of  the  natives,  left  their  canoe  and  took  their 
station  with  us  ; the  chief  with  a somewhat 
offensive  familiarity  seating  himself  in  the 
stern  of  the  boat,  near  the  captain.  We 
were  not  long  in  doubt  concerning  the  mo- 


36 


NARRATIVE. 


tive  which  had  led  them  to  this  act  of  con- 
descension. Our  bread  was  contained  in  a 
small  chest,  which  had  been  placed  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat  j this  seemed  to  have  ex- 
cited their  curiosity  to  the  highest  pitch,  as 
they  kept  their  eyes  almost  constantly  upon 
it,  and  endeavored  to  persuade  the  captain 
to  give  them  a chance  to  examine  its  con- 
tents. He  declined  gratifying  them,  think- 
ing it  better  to  keep  their  anxiety  alive,  rather 
than  to  expose  to  them  the  comparative 
worthlessness  of  the  little  that  remained 
with  us,  of  either  the  comforts  or  necessaries 
of  life. 

Probably  owing  to  this  show  of  resistance 
on  our  part,  when  we  had  approached  to 
within  five  or  six  miles  of  the  island,  at  a 
signal  given  by  the  chief,  the  sail  of  their 
canoe  was  suddenly  dropped ; and,  seizing 
our  powder  canister,  he  jumped  overboard 
and  swam  to  the  canoe.  His  companion, 
following  the  example  of  the  thievish  chief, 
seized  a bundle  of  clothing  and  was  making 
off  with  it ; whereupon  Mr.  Nute,  who  had 
not  yet  become  entirely  reconciled  to  the 


NARRATIVE. 


37 


fashion  of  going  without  clothes,  like-ournew 
acquaintances,  and  conceiving  that  it  might 
be  well  to  insist  upon  having  the  rights  of  pro- 
perty respected,  caught  hold  of  the  bundle 
and  retained  it.  Upon  this  they  immediately 
hauled  us  alongside,  and  seized  upon  our 
oars;  here  again  we  had  occasion  to  offer 
some  resistance  to  their  supposed  right  to 
plunder  us,  and  we  succeeded  in  keeping 
possession  of  these ; the  only  remaining 
means  of  saving  ourselves  from  premature 
death  and  a watery  grave. 

They  had  by  this  time  become  so  exaspe- 
rated, that  we  considered  it  altogether  de- 
sirable to  get  ourselves  out  of  the  reach  of 
their  war  clubs,  spears,  and  battle-axes ; and 
we  took  measures  accordingly.  We  were 
still  held  fast  to  their  canoe,  and  so  com- 
pletely within  their  reach  that  it  required 
not  a little  courage  to  make  any  attempt  to 
leave  them ; but  Mr.  Nute,  whose  resolution 
had  been  wrought  up  by  the  previous  con- 
test, took  a knife  and  deliberately  cut  the 
line.  Our  intention  was  to  throw  ourselves 
astern,  and  then,  by  tacking  directly  about, 
b 


38 


NARRATIVE. 


and  steering  in  the  wind’s  eye,  to  escape 
from  them,  or  at  least  to  give  them,  for  a 
time,  some  better  employment  than  that  of 
robbing  their  poor  and  suffering  victims. 
This  we  succeeded  in  accomplishing;  not 
however  without  the  expense  of  much  toil, 
and  some  blows,  which  they  dealt  out  at 
parting,  with  so  much  severity,  that  we 
shall  not  soon  lose  the  recollection  of  their 
barbarous  conduct  towards  us.  Mr.  Nute, 
by  his  intrepidity,  seemed  to  have  rendered 
himself  an  object  of  their  particular  dislike  ; 
they  beat  him  unmercifully,  for  his  resolu- 
tion in  retaining  the  bundle  of  clothes,  and 
sundering  the  only  cord  that  bound  us  to 
our  tormentors. 

Having  but  three  oars,  our  progress  was 
by  no  means  as  rapid  as  we  could  have  de- 
sired ; but  perceiving  that  in  going  against 
the  wind  we  had  the  advantage  of  our  pur- 
suers, and  knowing  that  our  only  safety 
was  in  flight,  we  exerted  our  utmost  strength, 
and  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  leaving 
them  at  a safe  distance  from  us.  They 
seemed  determined  not  to  part  with  us, 


NARRATIVE. 


39 


and  continued  to  pursue  us  till  about  four 
o’clock,  P.  M.  It  was  with  the  great- 
est difficulty  that  we  kept  clear  of  them  ; at 
times  it  seemed  impossible  ; and  in  this  situ- 
ation we  could  fully  realize  the  force  of  the 
scriptural  sentiment,  u all  that  a man  hath 
he  will  give  for  his  life.”  Finding  them  too 
near  us,  and  evidently  intent  upon  taking 
vengeance  for  the  crime  we  had  committed 
in  attempting  to  escape,  though  our  ward- 
robe had  been  reduced  to  a few  necessary 
articles  of  clothing,  we  resorted  to  the  expe- 
dient of  parting  even  with  these,  by  casting 
one  thing  at  a time  upon  the  water,  rightly 
judging  that  they  might  be  detained  in  pick- 
ing them  up,  and  hoping  by  this  manage- 
ment to  keep  Our  distance  from  them. 

After  they  left  us,  we  continued  our  course, 
which  was  directly  into  the  open  sea,  until 
about  sunset,  when  we  discovered  land 
ahead,  apparently  at  the  distance  of  forty 
miles.  We  continued  to  row  on  till  about 
three  o’clock  in  the  morning,  when  we  found 
that  we  were  in  shoal  water,  and  near 
breakers.  We  contrived  to  throw  the  bight 


40 


NARRATIVE. 


of  a rope  over  a point  of  rock  which  was 
about  eight  feet  under  water,  and  we  there  re- 
mained until  daylight.  We  then  let  go  our 
hold,  and  pulled  for  land.  At  about  four 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon  we  succeeded  in 
landing  on  a small  island  distant  from  the 
main  land  about  half  a mile,  and  drew  our 
boat  upon  the  beach.  By  this  time  our 
strength  had  become  much  exhausted,  aqd 
we  were  suffering  beyond  description  from 
the  want  of  water.  Our  first  efforts  were 
made  to  find  some  means  for  quenching  our 
thirst;  and,  to  our  inexpressible  joy,  we 
soon  found  a spring,  which,  in  that  extre- 
mity of  our  sufferings,  was  of  more  value 
than  a mine  of  gold.  Poor  Sedon  was  left 
lying  in  the  boat  in  a state  of  complete  pros- 
tration. We  carried  him  some  water,  and 
he  soon  revived. 


CHAPTER  III. 


A canoe,  with  two  natives,  approaches  the  island. — Commu- 
nication opened  with  them. — A great  number  of  canoes, 
filled  with  armed  natives,  suddenly  arrive ; rough  treatment 
of  the  captain  by  one  of  the  chiefs. — They  all  arrive  at  the 
harbor  of  the  island,  which  proved  to  be  one  of  the  Pelew 
islands. — Description  of  the  island  and  its  inhabitants. — 
Consultation  of  the  chiefs  respecting  the  ship’s  company. — 
Result  of  the  consultation. 

Having  satisfied  our  most  pressing  wants, 
we  next  set  ourselves  at  work  to  obtain  food. 
We  had  with  us  a part  of  the  bread  brought 
from  the  wreck,  and  the  preparation  given 
us  by  the  natives  composed  of  the  cocoa-nut 
pulverized  and  mixed  with  the  sweet  li- 
quor extracted  from  the  tree.  Putting  these 
together  into  a bucket-full  of  water,  we  made 
out  the  materials  for  a supper,  which,  though 
not  of  a kind  to  suit  the  delicate  palate, 
was  devoured  with  thankfulness  and  a good 
relish.  Feeling  refreshed  and  invigorated 
by  our  meal,  we  gathered  ourselves  into  a 
group  on  the  beach,  and  passed  our  mo- 
C 


42 


NARRATIVE. 


merits  of  relaxation  in  conversing  upon  the 
melancholy  vicissitudes  through  which  we 
had  passed,  and  the  gloomy  prospect  which 
was  at  that  unpromising  moment  spread  out 
before  us.  Should  we  find  it  possible  to  pro- 
cure the  means  of  subsistence,  it  was  thought 
best  to  remain  where  we  were  for  a day 
or  two,  not  knowing  what  reception  we 
should  meet  with,  were  we  to  throw  our- 
selves into  the  hands  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  main  island,  and  feeling  an  unconquera- 
ble reluctance  to  come  in  contact  with  be- 
ings scarce  less  ferocious  than  beasts  of  prey. 
But  fortune  having  commenced  making  us 
the  sport  of  painful  incidents,  soon  subject- 
ed us  to  another  annoyance. 

A canoe  containing  two  living  beings,  in 
the  form  of  men,  in  a state  of  nakedness,  was 
seen,  from  where  we  sat,  putting  off  from  a 
point  of  land  which  projected  into  the  sea  a 
small  distance  below  us.  They  had  evi- 
dently discovered  us,  and  were  approaching 
the  spot  where  we  were,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  themselves  acquainted  with  us  and 
our  condition.  When  within  hailing  dis- 


NARRATIVE. 


43 


tance  they  stopped,  and  seemed  afraid  to 
come  nearer.  Thinking  it  best  to  be  on 
friendly  terms  with  them,  we  beckoned  to 
have  them  approach.  This  seemed  to  please 
them ; and,  to  manifest  a friendly  disposi- 
tion, they  held  up  a fish.  To  show  them 
that  we  were  inclined  to  reciprocate  any  acts 
of  kindness,  to  the  extent- of  our  ability,  we 
held  up  a crab  which  we  had  caught.  Up- 
on this  they  immediately  came  near  to  where 
we  stood.  We  presented  to  each  one  a jack- 
knife, and  indicated  by  signs,  that  they  were 
at  liberty  to  take  any  thing  we  had.  They 
appeared  highly  gratified,  and  their  conduct 
was  inoffensive.  In  a short  time  they  re- 
turned to  their  canoe,  and  made  signs  to  us 
to  follow  them ; we  thought  best  to  do  so, 
and  accordingly  soon  placed  our  effects  in  the 
boat,  and  followed  them  towards  a sort  of 
harbor  at  no  great  distance.  In  consequence 
of  the  lightness  of  their  canoe  and  their  dex- 
terity in  managing  it,  they  were  soon  ahead 
of  us,  and,  turning  round  a point  of  land, 
they  were  speedily  withdrawn  from  our 
view. 


44 


NARRATIVE. 


In  a few  minutes  they  returned,  accompa- 
nied by  a large  number  of  canoes — the  wa- 
ter seemed  'to  be  literally  covered  by  this 
miniature  fleet.  The  natives  were  all  arm- 
ed, much  like  those  with  whom  we  first  be- 
came acquainted. 

This  instantaneous  movement  was  occa- 
sioned, as  we  afterwards  learned,  by  an 
alarm  given  by  the  two  natives  who  had 
visited  us  on  the  small  island.  Intelligence 
of  the  fact,  that  a boat’s  crew  of  strange 
looking  beings,  as  we  doubtless  appeared  to 
them,  had  lauded  upon  their  territory,  was 
given  by  sounding  a shell.  This  aroused 
the  multitude,  and  caused  them  to  come  out, 
to  satisfy  their  curiosity,  and  assist  in  con- 
ducting us  safely  and  speedily  to  a place  of 
security.  A large  war  canoe  made  directly 
towards  us ; and,  on  coming  alongside,  the 
head  chief  sprung  into  our  boat,  seized  the 
captain  by  the  shoulder,  and  struck  him  seve- 
ral times  with  a war-club ; in  the  mean  while 
giving  him  to  understand,  that  it  was  his 
will  and  pleasure  to  have  us  row,  with  all 
convenient  despatch,  to  the  place  whence 


NARRATIVE. 


45 


they  had  issued.  He  then  commenced 
swinging  his  club  over  our  heads  with  great 
apparent  ferocity,  for  the  purpose,  as  it  seem- 
ed, of  awing  us  into  submission ; occasionally 
striking  some  of  our  number.  After  pretty 
thoroughly  convincing  us  that  in  this  case 
our  only  course  was  submission,  he  began 
to  strip  us  of  our  clothing.  While  this  was 
going  on,  his  associates  in  arms  and  mischief 
kept  their  canoe  close  alongside,  and,  stand- 
ing up,  held  their  spears  in  a position  to  ena- 
ble them  to  pierce  us  through  in  an  instant, 
if  there  had  been  any  occasion  for  so  doing. 

We  were  soon  in  their  miserable  harbor; 
and,  it  being  low  water,  we  were  compelled 
to  leave  our  boat,  and  wade  to  the  table- 
land through  the  mud.  Our  appearance,  as 
the  reader  will  naturally  conclude,  was  not 
very  creditable  to  the  land  which  gave  us 
birth ; but  since  our  destitute  and  miserable 
condition  was  not  our  choice,  we  could  do 
no  less  than  be  thankful  that  it  was  no 
worse ; and,  making  the  best  of  it,  we  suf- 
fered ourselves  to  be  ushered  into  the  pre- 
sence of  the  dignitaries  of  the  island,  in  the 


46 


NARRATIVE. 


way  they  thought  most  proper.  We  were 
conducted  to  a platform,  on  a rise  of  land  at 
a little  distance  from  the  harbor,  on  which 
were  seated  those  who  had  power  to  dispose 
of  us  as  they  pleased.  This  platform  was 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  square,  and  was  situ- 
ated between  two  long  buildings,  called 
upyes”  These,  as  we  afterwards  learned, 
were  used  by  the  chiefs  as  places  of  carou- 
sal, and  as  a sort  of  harem  for  their  women. 
They -were  constructed  in  a rude  manner, 
of  bamboo  sticks,  and  covered  with  leaves. 
They  were  sixty  or  seventy  feet  in  length, 
and  about  twenty-four  in  width. 

That  something  like  a correct  conception 
of  this  scene  may  be  formed  by  the  reader, 
it  may  be  well  to  give,  in  this  place,  a brief 
account  of  the  appearance,  manners,  and 
customs  of  the  natives  of  this  island.  This 
was  the  island  known  to  navigators  as  Bau- 
belthouap,  the  largest  of  the  group  of  the  Pe- 
lew  islands.  It  lies  not  far  from  the  eighth 
degree  of  north  latitude,  is  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  in  length,  and  contains 


NARRATIVE. 


47 


probably  not  far  from  two  thousand  inhabi- 
tants.* 

The  men  were  entirely  naked.  They  al- 
ways go  armed,  in  the  way  before  described, 
and  carry  with  them  a small  basket,  con- 
taining generally  the  whole  amount  of  their 
movable  property.  The  women  wear  no 
other  clothing  than  a sort  of  apron  (fastened 
to  the  waist  by  a curiously  wrought  girdle) 
extending  nearly  to  the  knees,  and  left  open 
at  the  sides.  The  material  of  these  gar- 
ments (if  such  they  can  be  called)  is  the 
bark  of  a tree  called  by  them  “ karamalP 
This  tree  grows  from  thirty  to  forty  feet 
high,  and  is  two  or  three  feet  in  circumfe- 
rence. The  hair  of  both  males  and  females 
is  worn  long ; it  is  coarse  and  stiff,  and  of  a 
color  resembling  that  of  the  natives  of  North 

# This  island  is  not  always  laid  down  by  name  on  our 
common  maps,  nor  mentioned  in  geographical  works. 
In  the  best  charts  it  is  called  Baubelthouap.  In  the  chart 
prefixed  to  the  fifth  volume  of  Burney's  Chronological 
History  of  the  Voyages  and  Discoveries  in  the  South  Sea, 
it  is  called  “ Panloq  or  Babelthoup.”  In  the  map  accom- 
panying the  late  edition  of  Malte  Brun’s  Geography,  (in 
4to)  it  is  carelessly  printed  Banbelfbonap. — Edit . 


48 


NARRATIVE. 


America.  They  make  free  use  of  the  oil 
extracted  from  the  cocoa-nut ; with  this 
they  anoint  their  bodies,  considering  it  the 
extreme  of  gentility  to  have  the  skin  entirely 
saturated  with  it.  Their  arms,  and  some- 
times the  lower  parts  of  the  body  and  legs, 
are  ingeniously  tattooed.  Their  complexion 
is  a light  copper.  Their  eyes  have  a very 
singular  appearance,  being  of  a reddish  color. 
Their  noses  were  somewhat  flat,  but  not  so 
flat  as  those  of  the  Africans ; nor  are  their 
lips  so  thick.  They  are  excessively  fond 
of  trinkets.  It  would  cause  a fashionable 
lady  of  America  to  smile,  to  observe  the 
pains  taken  by  those  simple  daughters  of  na- 
ture to  set  olf  their  persons.  In  their  ears 
they  wear  a sort  of  ornament  made  of  a pe- 
culiar kind  of  grass,  which  they  work  into 
a tassel;  this  is  painted  and  richly  per- 
fumed. In  their  noses  they  wear  a stem 
of  the  kabooa  leaf,  which  answers  the  dou- 
ble purpose  of  an  ornament  and  a smelling 
bottle ; and  their  arms,  in  addition  to  being 
tattooed  in  the  manner  above  mentioned,  are 
adorned  with  a profusion  of  shells.  Our 


NARRATIVE. 


49 


fair  readers  may  judge  how  much  we  were 
amused,  on  finding  that  the  copper-colored 
females  of  the  island  cut  up  our  old  shoes 
into  substitutes  for  jewelry,  and  seemed 
highly  delighted  with  wearing  the  shreds 
suspended  from  their  ears. 

Our  further  acquaintance  with  this  extra- 
ordinary people  confirmed  us  in  the  opinion, 
that  the  ceremony  of  marriage  is  unpractis- 
ed and  unknown  among  them.  The  chiefs 
appropriate  to  themselves  as  many  females  as 
they  please,  and  in  the  selection  they  exer* 
cise  this  despotism  over  the  affections  with- 
out regard  to  any  other  laws  than  those  of 
caprice.  Reserving  a more  particular  ac- 
count of  their  manners,  customs  and  mode 
of  living  for  another  place,  I content  my- 
self with  observing  at  this  time,  that  the 
people  of  these  islands,  generally  speaking, 
are  in  the  rudest  slate  imaginable.  It  is 
true  that  some  sense  of  propriety,  and  some 
regard  to  the  decencies  of  life,  were  observa- 
ble ; nor  did  they  appear  entirely  destitute 
of  those  feelings  which  do  honor  to  our  na- 


50 


NARRATIVE. 


fure,  and  which  we  should  hardly  expect  to 
find  in  a people  so  rude  and  barbarous. 

Such  were  the  beings  among  whom 
Providence  had  cast  our  lot ; and  to  think 
of  remaining  with  them  to  the  end  of  life,  or 
for  any  great  length  of  time,  was  like  the 
contemplation  of  imprisonment  for  life  in  the 
gloomy  cells  of  a dungeon. 

From  the  rudely  constructed  wharf  near 
the  spot  where  we  left  our  boat,  we  were 
conducted  into  the  presence  of  a number  of 
the  chiefs,  who  were  seated  upon  the  plat- 
form above  mentioned.  The  natives  eagerly 
pressed  forward  to  obtain  a sight  of  us. 
That  curiosity  peculiar  to  the  better  portion 
of  our  race  was,  on  this  occasion,  manifest- 
ed by  the  females  of  the  island.  They  clus- 
tered around  us,  and,  placing  their  hands 
upon  our  flesh,  seemed  greatly  to  wonder 
that  it  should  differ  so  much  from  their  own. 
The  fashion  of  wearing  a skin  so  white  as 
ours,  seemed  to  them,  no  doubt,  to  be  an 
offence  against  the  taste  and  refinement  of 
their  portion  of  the  world.  To  go  at  large 
without  being  tattooed,  was  to  carry  with 


NARRATIVE. 


51 


us  the  palpable  proofs  of  our  vulgarity ; and, * 
to  our  sorrow,  we  were  afterwards  compelled 
to  conform  to  the  custom  of  the  barbarians 
in  this  respect,  and  shall  carry  with  us  to 
the  grave  the  marks  of  their  well-meant, 
though  cruel  operation  upon  our  bodies. 

Judging  from  appearances,  our  case  had 
become  a concern  of  great  importance.  The 
chiefs  seemed  to  have  had  under  discussion 
the  question,  whether  we  were  to  be  treated  as 
enemies,  and  subjected  to  the  process  of  be- 
heading upon  the  block  of  the  executioner, 

« (which  was  therein  readiness  before  our  eyes) 
or  regarded  as  friends,  and  welcomed  to  their 
rude  hospitalities.  Unable  as  we  were  to 
understand  a word  of  their  language,  or  to 
say  any  thing  by  way  of  explanation  or  de- 
fence, the  reader  will  conceive,  better  than 
we  could  describe,  our  painful  situation. 
For  a time  we  considered  our  case  as  hope- 
less. The  women,  who  seemed  to  have 
taken  an  interest  in  our  welfare,  after  ob- 
serving, for  a time,  what  was  going  on 
among  the  chiefs,  began  to  utter  their  cries 
and  lamentations,  as  if  greatly  distressed  on 


wi  idL 


52 


NARRATIVE. 


our  account.  Their  grief  had  the  appear- 
ance of  being  sincere ; they  wept,  and  in  a 
variety  of  ways  expressed  emotions  of  deep 
and  heart-felt  solicitude.  Whether  this  was 
their  manner  of  interceding  in  our  behalf,  to 
avert  some  impending  calamity,  or  was  ex- 
pressive of  their  regret  on  account  of  our 
doom  having  been  already  sealed,  it  was 
impossible  for  us  to  determine.  Nor  did  we 
ever  know  the  amount  of  our  obligations  to 
those  female  strangers  for  the  interest  taken 
in  our  welfare.  A termination  was  put  to 
our  suspense,  however,  in  the  course  of  an 
hour. 

At  the  close  of  the  consultation,  a large 
bowl  was  brought  to  us,  filled  with  sweet- 
ened water,  and  richly  ornamented  with 
shells,  so  arranged  as  to  form  a sort  of  hie- 
roglyphical  characters.  We  drank  of  the 
contents  of  the  bowl,  in  compliance  with 
their  request,  from  a richly  wrought  cup 
made  of  a cocoa-nut  shell.  This  act  of  hos- 
pitality was  regarded  as  a favorable  indica- 
tion of  a friendly  disposition  on  their  part 
towards  us;  and  our  hopes  were  afterwards 


NARRATIVE. 


63 


confirmed;  for  no  sooner  had  we  finished  ' 
drinking,  than  the  natives  prepared  to  con- 
duct us  away.  We  afterwards  learned,  that 
a messenger  had  been  despatched  to  a neigh- 
boring town,  or  settlement,  to  consult  their 
prophetess  in  regard  to  the  proper  manner 
of  disposing  of  us  ; and  that  she  had  direct- 
ed them  to  send  us  to  her.  Of  this  impor- 
tant personage  a more  particular  account 
will  be  given  hereafter ; suffice  it,  for  the 
present,  to  say,  that  the  respect  paid  to  her 
by  the  natives  of  the  island  was  of  the  most 
profound  character,  and  her  authority  over 
them  was  almost  unlimited. 

We  were  conducted,  through  an  inconsi- 
derable place,  to  the  town  where  the  pro- 
phetess resided.  In  this  place  there  were 
several  dwelling-houses,  scattered  about 
without  regard  to  order;  and,  besides  the 
dwelling  of  the  prophetess,  two  of  their  long 
buildings,  or  “pyes,”  gave  it  not  a little  im- 
portance in  the  estimation  of  these  rude  and 
uncultivated  beings.  We  were  halted  in 
front  of  one  of  the  “ pyes,”  and  directly  op- 
posite the  house  of  the  prophetess.  Here, 


54 


NARRATIVE. 


again,  we  were  reminded  of  the  fact,  that 
we  were  in  the  presence  of  our  superiors,  as 
to  power,  by  the  platform  on  which  were 
placed  our  judges,  the  chiefs,  and  the  block 
standing  near  them,  for  the  purpose  of  exe- 
cution. 

We  were  soon  surrounded  by  a vast  crowd 
of  the  natives,  eager  to  see  us,  and  to  learn 
something  of  the  nature  of  beings  so  different 
from  themselves. 

A short  time  after  our  arrival,  a quantity 
of  food  was  brought  from  the  house  of  the 
prophetess,  and  placed  in  the  centre  of  tho 
platform.  This  consisted  of  a hog’s  head, 
boiled  in  sea- water,  highly  seasoned  with 
cayenne  and  aromatic  herbs,  a plentiful  sup- 
ply of  yams,  and  a large  bowl  of  sweetened 
water.  This  meal  was  abundant  and  deli- 
cious ; and  we  partook  of  it  with  an  excel- 
lent relish. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


An  extraordinary  and  unexpected  meeting  with  a person  not  a 
native. — Happy  result  of  the  meeting.— Acquisition  of  the 
Pelew  language. — Dissensions  between  two  portions  ef  the 
natives. — Thre^e  of  the  ship’s  company  separated  and  carried 
to  a place  remote  from  the  rest. — Attempt  to  construct  a 
boat,  in  order  to  leave  the  island. — The  natives  agree  to  re- 
lease them  all  for  a compensation. — Solemnities  observed 
by  the  natives  on  the  occasion. — Tools  used  in  making  the 
boat ; transportation  of  timber,  &c. — The  plan  abandoned, 
and  a canoe  substituted  for  the  boat. — Another  festival. 

An  interesting  incident  now  occurred 
Just  at  the  time  when  the  servant  of  thd 
prophetess  brought  out  the  materials  for  our 
repast,  we  observed,  at  a little  distance,  a 
singular  looking  being  approaching  us.  His 
appearance  was  that  of  a man  of  sixty. 
His  hair  was  long  and  gray,  unlike  that  of 
the  natives.  His  legs,  arms,  and  breast 
were  tattooed.  His  step  was  quick  and 
firm;  his  motions  indicating  that  he  felt 
himself  a person  of  not  a little  importance. 
His  teeth  were  entirely  gone,  and  his  mouth 


56 


NARRATIVE. 


was  black  with  the  use  of  “ kabooa.” 
Judge  of  our  emotions  on  hearing  this  strange 
being  address  us  in  broken  English ! His 
first  exclamation  was — “ My  God,  you  are 
Englishmen  !”  He  immediately  said,  “ You 
are  safe  now  but  he  gave  us  to  understand, 
that  it  was  next  to  a miracle  that  we  had 
escaped  being  killed  on  the  water. 

This  person  was  by  birth  an  Englishman, 
and  had  been  on  the  island  about  twenty- 
nine  years.  He  told  us  that  he  had  been  a 
hatter  by  trade,  and  that  his  name  was 
Charles  Washington.  He  had  been  a pri- 
vate in  the  British  naval  service,  on  board 
the  Lion  man-of-war.  Cruising  in  those 
seas,  he  had,  while  on  duty,  been  guilty  of 
some  trifling  offence;  and,  apprehending 
that  he  should  be  severely  punished  for  it, 
had  left  the  ship,  and  taken  up  his  residence 
upon  the  island.  He  seemed  to  be  contented 
with  his  situation,  and  had  no  desire  to  re- 
turn to  his  native  country.  He  had  attain- 
ed to  great  celebrity,  and  was  the  sixth  chief 
among  them.  His  authority  seemed  great, 
and  he  exercised  it  with  exemplary  discre- 
tion. 


NARRATIVE. 


57 


Observing  the  provisions  before  us,  he 
told  us  that  they  were  for  our  use,  and  de- 
sired us  to  partake  of  whatever  we  preferred. 
Seeing  that  we  were  likely  to  be  somewhat 
annoyed  by  the  crowd  of  young  persons 
who  had  collected  around  us,  he  swung  his 
battle-axe  over  their  heads,  and  giving  them 
to  understand  that  we  belonged  to  Aim,  im- 
mediately caused  them  to  disperse. 

Arrangements  were  soon  made  for  our 
accommodation.  A part  of  one  of  the 
1 1 pyes”  was  appropriated  to  our  use,  and 
we  were  furnished  with  mats,  and  other 
things  for  our  comfort  and  convenience. 
Here  we  remained  for  about  a month,  and 
were  regularly  supplied  by  the  natives  with  * 
a sufficiency  of  provisions  of  various  kinds, 
such  as  hogs,  goats,  fish,  yams,  cocoa-nuts, 
bread-fruit,  preserved  almonds,  and  occa- 
sionally with  sweet  potatoes. 

A change  seemed  now  to  have  come  over 
us.  We  were,  it  is  true,  amongst  a rude 
and  barbarous  people,  cut  off  from  all  inter- 
course with  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  de- 
prived of  many  things  which  we  had  been 
c 


58 


NARRATIVE. 


accustomed  to  regard  as  essential  to  our 
happiness ; but  even  then  we  found  many 
reasons  for  being  grateful  to  the  Disposer  of 
events.  Our  actual  wants  were  supplied; 
and  the  natives  soon  evinced  a disposition 
to  consider  us  friends,  and  treat  us  as  such. 
To  the  latest  day  of  our  lives  we  shall  re- 
member some  of  them  with  heartfelt  respect 
and  affection ; and,  most  of  all,  regret  our 
inability  to  requite  them  for  the  favors  which 
they  voluntarily  bestowed  upon  us.  Espe- 
cially should  we  rejoice  to  revisit  that  lonely 
spot  of  earth,  and  carry  with  us,  to  those 
children  of  nature,  the  means  of  civilization, 
and  the  blessings  of  Christian  faith  and 
Christian  morality.  And  should  the  govern- 
ment of  enlightened  America  ever  see  pro- 
per to  extend  to  them  some  proof  of  its  re- 
gard, it  would  afford  us  unspeakable  plea- 
sure to  have  it  in  our  power  to  communicate 
to  them  the  exalted  principles,  which  might 
incline  this  highly  favored  nation  to  the  per- 
formance of  so  noble  a deed. 

Finding  it  important  to  he  able  to  converse 
with  the  natives,  we  improved  every  oppor- 


NARRATIVE. 


59 


tunity  to  become  acquainted  with  their  lan- 
guage. Having  but  little  to  occupy  our 
attention,  it  was  not  long  before  we  had 
acquired  a tolerable  knowledge  of  it ; and 
we  found  our  situation  much  more  pleasant 
as  we  became  familiar  with  it.  Our  great 
object  was,  as  the  reader  will  naturally  sup- 
pose, to  contrive  some  way  of  escape.  Our 
only  means  of  accomplishing  this  was  by 
friendly  and  amicable  negotiation,  and  to 
make  them  understand  our  wishes,  and 
convince  them  that  it  would  be  for  their  in- 
terest to  aid  us  in  returning  to  our  native 
land,  were  essential  to  our  success. 

We  had  not  long  been  with  them  before 
we  became  acquainted  with  the  fact,  that 
upon  the  opposite  end  of  the  island  there 
was  another  tribe,  and  that  the  two  divi- 
sions of  the  inhabitants  were  not  on  the 
most  friendly  terms  with  each  other.  Intel- 
ligence had  in  some  way  been  communicated 
to  those  who  lived  remote  from  the  spot 
where  fortune  had  thrown  us,  that  we  were 
desirous  of  leaving  the  island ; and,  proba- 
bly with  a view  of  gaining  some  advan- 


60 


NARRATIVE. 


tage,  they  sent  to  us  a message,  informing 
us  of  their  willingness  to  assist  in  con- 
structing a boat  sufficiently  large  to  convey 
us  across  the  water.  The  persons  commis- 
sioned to  make  this  proposal,  and  to  persuade 
us  to  go  to  them,  were  two  Englishmen, 
who,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  had  been  on 
the  island  for  several  years,  and  were  left 
there  by  English  vessels.  The  particulars 
of  their  history  we  were  unable  to  obtain. 

An  offer  of  that  kind,  coming  as  it  did 
from  their  enemies,  and  being  in  itself  calcu- 
lated to  offend  the  pride  of  those  into  whose 
hands  we  had  fallen,  greatly  excited  their 
feelings  of  animosity ; and,  in  consequence 
of  our  having  manifested  some  desire  to  sa- 
tisfy our  own  minds  on  the  subject,  we  were 
closely  watched.  On  the  whole,  however,  we 
had  no  reason  to  regret  this  state  of  things;  foi 
on  finding  that  their  neighbors  were  disposed 
to  assist  us,  a spirit  of  emulation  was  aroused 
among  them,  and  for  a time  we  had  some 
hopes  that  the  excited  energies  of  this  tiny 
nation  would  lead  to  the  performance  of 
some  exploit,  which,  in  the  end,  might 


NARRATIVE. 


61 


place  at  our  disposal  the  means  of  delive- 
rance. 

Our  maintenance  had  by  this  time  become 
so  great  a tax  upon  their  resources,  that  it 
Was  found  expedient  to  cause  some  of  our 
number  to  be  removed  to  a settlement  about 
a mile  distant.  Mr.  Nute,  Mr.  Rollins,  and 
myself  were  accordingly  selected,  and  under 
a strong  escort  taken  to  the  place.  This  did 
not  please  us,  as  we  preferred  remaining 
with  our  companions ; but  either  expostula- 
tion or  resistance  would  have  involved  us 
in  worse  difficulties,  and  we  submitted.  In 
our  new  situation  we  were  well  supplied 
with  provisions,  and  kindly  treated.  We 
were  allowed  to  visit  our  friends  at  the 
other  town,  and  spent  our  time  as  agreea- 
bly as  could  be  expected  under  the  circum- 
stances. 

Previously  to  this,  some  steps  had  been  tak- 
en towards  constructing  a sort  of  boat  or  ves- 
sel to  convey  us  home.  Finding  the  natives 
disposed  to  part  with  us,  for  a stipulated 
consideration,  and  to  render  us  any  assis- 
tance in  their  jjower,  we  left  no  means  un- 
D 


62 


NARRATIVE. 


employed  to  induce  them  to  exert  themselves 
to  the  utmost ; and,  to  their  credit  be  it  said, 
it  was  more  owing  to  their  inability  than  to 
their  want  of  inclination  that  we  were  not 
entirely  successful.  An  account  of  their 
proceedings  cannot  fail  of  being  interesting. 

After  much  deliberation,  and  many  con- 
sultations upon  the  momentous  subject,  it 
was  agreed  to  commence  operations.  Their 
prophetess  had  been  duly  consulted,  and  the 
assistance  of  their  divinity  had  been  implor- 
ed with  great  formality.  Before  they  ven- 
tured upon  the  undertaking,  it  was  deemed 
advisable  to  hold  a festival.  An  event  of  so 
much  importance  could  not  be  suffered  to 
transpire  without  being  duly  solemnized. 
Tradition  furnished  no  account  of  any  thing 
equal  to  this  attempt ! Accordingly  large 
quantities  of  provisions  were  brought  from 
various  parts  of  the  island,  and  an  immense 
concourse  of  men,  women,  and  children,  at- 
tended the  feast.  On  our  part  we  had  little 
confidence  in  the  success  of  the  plan ; but, 
be  that  as  it  might,  we  were  far  from  being 
displeased  with  their  efforts  to  carry  it  into 


NARRATIVE. 


63 


execution,  and  shared  with  them  the  festivi- 
ties of  the  occasioil,  with  not  a little  plea- 
sure. 

This  part  of  the  business  having  been 
duly  attended  to,  the  time  had  come  for 
united  and  vigorous  action : and  accordingly 
the  whole  male  population  of  that  region 
repaired  to  the  woods,  to  procure  timber. 
In  the  mean  time  the  females,  animated  by 
a spirit  of  emulation,  betook  themselves  to 
the  task  of  making  mats,  to  serve  as  sails  to 
our  vessel,  when  it  should  be  completed.  In 
fine,  the  whole  resources  of  the  country,  of 
every  kind,  were  taxed  to  the  last  extremity, 
to  accomplish  the  work. 

Considering  the  means  they  had  for  car- 
rying the  plan  into  execution,  it  is  surprising 
that  they  accomplished  as  much  as  they  did. 
The  best  tools  we  had  were  a few  old  inch 
chisels,  which  served  as  substitutes  for  the 
broad-axe,  in  manufacturing  trees  into 
planks,  and  afterwards  fitting  them  to  their 
places.  There  were  a few  spikes  on  the 
island,  but  we  had  neither  auger  nor  gimlet. 

When  news  had  been  received  that  the 


64 


NARRATIVE. 


timber  was  ready  in  the  woods,  orders  were 
given  to  have  it  brought  together.  Seldom 
had  we  witnessed  a more  novel  scene  than  that 
presented  by  the  natives  when  they  brought 
from  the  forests  the  rudely  prepared  materi- 
als for  the  boat.  They  were  seen  coming 
in  from  all  quarters  with  loads  of  timber  on 
their  shoulders,  of  every  size  and  shape  that 
could  be  conceived  of,  and  causing  the  hills 
and  vales  to  resound  with  their  shouts. 

In  due  time  the  work  of  putting  together 
the  materials  commenced.  We  succeeded 
in  laying  a sort  of  keel,  and  at  length  con- 
trived to  erect  a kind  of  frame,  which, 
though  it  might  not  be  regarded  as  a first- 
rate  specimen  of  naval  architecture,  never- 
theless looked  somewhat  like  the  beginning 
of  a water-craft.  But  when  we  came  to  the 
more  difficult  part  of  the  business,  that  of 
putting  on  the  planks,  we  found  that  not  only 
our  skill,  but  that  of  the  whole  nation,  was 
completely  baffled.  We  were  compelled  to 
abandon  the  undertaking ; and  despaired  of 
ever  being  able  to  succeed  in  building  any 
thing  of  the  kind. 


NARRATIVE. 


65 


During  all  this  time  the  natives  were  san- 
guine in  the  belief  that  they  should  succeed, 
and  repeatedly  assured  us  that  they  could 
accomplish  the  work.  Their  sorrow  and 
mortification,  on  being  obliged  to  give 
it  up,  were  great;  for  they  seemed  to  re- 
alize, that  now  they  must  have  fallen  in  our 
estimation,  and  thought  that  we  should  be 
anxious  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  assistance 
of  their  enemies,  who,  as  they  well  knew, 
were  extremely  anxious  to  get  us  into  their 
hands.  The  captain  did  not  attempt  to  con- 
ceal his  wish  to  go  to  the  other  part  of  the 
island.  This  greatly  increased  their  dissatis- 
faction ; and  their  murmurs  became  frequent 
and  loud.  After  considerable  expostulation, 
they  proposed  to  make  a canoe  sufficiently 
large  to  convey  us  away ; and,  having  some 
confidence  in  the  practicability  of  the  plan, 
we  consented  to  wait  and  assist  them  in 
their  endeavors  to  supply  us  with  this  sub- 
stitute for  the  more  respectable  craft  we  had 
contemplated  building.  After  duly  consult- 
ing the  old  prophetess,  the  principal  chiefs 
were  assembled,  and  having  agreed  to  take 
6* 


66 


NARRATIVE. 


for  the  purpose  the  largest  bread-fruit  tree 
on  the  island,  the  people  were  called  upon 
to  meet  at  the  spot  where  it  stood,  and  as- 
sist in  cutting  it  down. 

Matters  of  so  great  importance  required 
deliberation  in  the  operation  of  planning  out 
the  work, — but  the  accomplishment  of  an 
undertaking  like  that  of  felling  so  large  a 
tree,  with  tools  even  less  adapted  to  the  busi- 
ness than  the  teeth  of  a beaver,  was  one 
that  took  several  days.  At  length  the  her- 
culean task  was  performed,  and  the  tree 
fell ! But  judge  of  our  feelings  on  finding 
that  the  trunk,  which  we  had  hoped  to  ren- 
der so  useful  in  conveying  us  to  some  place 
from  which  we  could  obtain  a passage  to  our 
native  land,  had,  in  falling,  become  so  split 
as  to  be  good  for  nothing ! It  seemed  .to  us 
that  a cruel  fate  had  ordained,  that  no  labor 
of  our  hands  should  prosper.  Another  tree 
was  selected,  and  with  that  we  were  more 
successful.  We  then  commenced  digging 
it  out,  and  bringing  it  to  a proper  shape. 
The  ’old  chisels  were  now  put  in  requisition ; 
and,  in  twenty-eight  days  from  the  time  we 


NARRATIVE. 


67 

began,  we  had  succeeded  in  bringing  that 
part  of  our  labor  to  a close.  Of  the  other 
tree  we  made  two  wide  planks,  which  we 
fastened  to  the  upper  edges  of  the  canoe, 
thereby  adding  very  considerably  to  its  ca- 
pacity. Two  months  more  were  consumed 
in  fitting  up  our  canoe  with  sails,  and  get- 
ting it  ready  for  sea. 

Having  proceeded  thus  far,  it  was  deemed 
proper  by  the  natives  to  have  another  festi- 
val ; and,  as  our  labors,  in  this  instance,  had 
been  attended  with  better  success,  extraordi- 
nary preparations  were  made  for  a feast  that 
should  do  honor  to  the  occasion.  An  im- 
mense quantity  of  fish  had  been  obtained ; 
the  females  brought  large  quantities  of  bread- 
fruit, cocoa-nuts,  and  yams ; and  the  toil  of 
months  was  forgotten  in  the  universal  joy 
which  then  prevailed. 


CHAPTER  V. 


The  natives  become  anxious  to  aid  the  ship’s  company  in 
leaving  the  island. — Terms  on  which  they  agreed  to  release 
them. — Departure  from  the  Pelew  islands. — Necessity  of 
returning  the  same  night. — Detention  a month  longer ; and 
final  departure. 

By  this  time  the  natives  had  become  nearly 
as  anxious  to  part  with  us  as  we  had  ever 
been  to  leave  them ; and  being  mutually  de* 
sirous  to  be  rid  of  each  other’s  company,  we 
lost  no  time  in  preparing  for  our  departure. 
Our  object  now  was  to  get  into  the  open  sea, 
with  the  hope  of  falling  in  with  some  vessel 
on  its  passage  to  China  or  elsewhere,  and 
thus  be  able,  after  a while,  to  find  a convey* 
ance  to  America.  Provisions  were  furnish- 
ed us  by  the  natives ; but  we  greatly  needed 
a compass,  and  with  much  difficulty  obtain* 
ed  one.  Captain  Wilson,  who  had  been 
shipwrecked  there  many  years  before,  left  his 
compass  with  one  of  the  chiefs,  whom  we 
finally  succeeded  in  inducing  to  part  with  itf 


NARRATIVE. 


69 


It  had  become  much  impaired  by  time  and 
improper  usage,  but  served  as  a tolerable 
guide.* 

It  is  proper  here  to  state  the  particulars 
of  our  agreement  with  the  natives  of  this 
island.  They  had,  as  before  related,  fur- 
nished us  with  the  means  of  subsistence, 
and  with  comfortable  lodgings ; and,  for  the 
purpose  of  enabling  us  to  return  home,  had 
been  at  great  expense  in  fitting  up  a craft, 
such  as  they  thought  would  answer  to  con- 
vey us  wherever  we  pleased  to  go.  Accord- 
ing to  their  notions,  we  were  persons  of  suf- 
ficient consequence  in*  the  estimation  of  our 

* The  Englishman  before  mentioned,  Charles  Wash- 
ington, told  us  that  this  compass  was  left  there  about 
thirty  years  before,  which  was  the  time  when  captain 
James  Wilson,  of  the  ship  Duff,  was  there.  But  from 
circumstances  it  appeared  that  he  was  mistaken  as  to 
the  time,  and  that  it  was  one  which  had  belonged  to 
captain  Henry  Wilson,  who  was  shipwrecked  there  in 
the  Antelope,  in  1783,  and  of  whose  voyage  and  disas- 
ters a most  interesting  and  well-known  account  was  pub- 
lished by  Mr.  Keate.  Its  preservation  for  about  fifty 
years  is  certainly  remarkable. — Edit. 


70 


NARRATIVE. 


countrymen,  to  fulfil  any  engagement  we 
might  make  with  them,  and  to  the  extent 
to  which,  in  our  necessity,  we  were  compell- 
ed to  go,  in  order  to  obtain  the  object  which 
we  had  in  view,  should  the  government  con- 
sider itself  bound ; and  it  would  be  no  less  an 
act  of  justice  than  of  humanity,  to  secure 
the  friendship  and  confidence  of  these  isl- 
anders ; so  that,  should  others  unfortunately 
fall  into  their  hands,  their  lives  and  pro- 
perty might  be  respected.  It  is  also  impor- 
tant, that  those  who  engage  in  commercial 
pursuits  should  have  every  protection  ex- 
tended to  them.  It  would  cost  the  govern- 
ment but  a mere  trifle  to  secure  an  amica- 
ble understanding  with  these  islanders ; and 
it  is  but 'reasonable  to  hope  that  no  time  will 
be  lost  in  making  the  attempt. 

Situated  as  we  were,  we  did  not  feel  our- 
selves at  liberty  to  expostulate  against  the 
obvious  unreasonableness  of  their  demands. 
We  were,  in  truth,  indebted  to  them  for  our 
maintenance  while  among  them,  and  for  the 
assistance  they  rendered  us  in  fitting  up  our 
craft ; and,  as  a suitable  requital  for  these 


NARRATIVE. 


71 


favors,  and  to  remunerate  them  for  their 
hospitality,  we  solemnly  assured  them,  that, 
should  fortune  so  far  prosper  us,  as  to  ena- 
ble us  once  more  to  reach  our  native  coun- 
try, we  would  send  to  them  two  hundred 
muskets,  ten  casks  of  powder,  with  a corres- 
ponding quantity  of  balls  and  flints.  Besides 
this,  we  gave  them  assurances  of  having 
several  articles  of  ornament,  such  as  beads, 
belts,  combs,  and  trinkets  of  various  kinds. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  1832,  we  set  sail, 
having  the  boat  in  which  we  had  escaped 
from  the  ship,  and  which  we  had  repaired 
as  well  as  we  were  able,  and  the  canoe 
which  had  been  constructed  by  the  natives 
especially  for  our  use.  It  was  agreed,  that 
three  of  our  number,  viz.  Davis,  Meder, 
and  Alden,  should  remain  on  the  island  as 
hostages,  and  that  three  of  the  natives  (two 
chiefs,  and  one  of  the  common  class)  should 
accompany  us,  to  see  that  the  agreement 
made  with  them  should  be  faithfully  exe- 
cuted. Fearing  that  the  natives  residing  on 
the  other  part  of  the  island  might  come  up- 
on us  and  prevent  our  going,  we  took  our 


72 


NARRATIVE. 


departure  in  the  night.  We  soon  found  that 
our  boats  leaked  so  badly  that  it  would  be 
next  to  madness  to  proceed,  and  we  return- 
ed in  the  course  of  the  night.  Our  unex- 
pected return  gave  great  offence ; but  we 
insisted  that  to  go  to  sea  in  that  condition 
would  be  certain  destruction.  They  at  length 
consented  to  assist  in  repairing  the  canoe 
and  boat,  and  to  suffer  us  to  remain  long 
enough  to  complete  our  arrangements  more 
to  our  mind. 

We  were  detained  by  these  operations 
about  a month,  and  then  again  took  our 
leave  of  the  spot  where  we  had  remained  so 
long  against  our  will ; though  we  would  not 
conceal  the  fact,  that  the  rude  kindness  of 
the  natives  had  so  entirely  overbalanced 
their  faults,  that,  on  parting  with  them,  we 
experienced  emotions  of  regret,  and  were 
quite  overpowered  with  a sense  of  our  obli- 
gations to  them  for  the  many  favors  which 
they  had  bestowed  upon  us.  They  had  re- 
garded and  treated  us  as  beings  of  a higher 
order  than  themselves ; and  our  conduct  had 
inspired  them  with  a veneration  and  confi- 


NARRATIVE. 


73 


dence  almost  unbounded.  As  a proof  of 
this,  three  of  their  number  were  committed 
to  our  care,  and  were  entirely  willing  to 
place  themselves  at  our  disposal. 

Seven  of  our  number  now  took  the  canoe, 
viz.,  Bouket,  Sedon,  Andrews,  Hulet,  and 
the  three  natives.  Captain  Barnard,  Rollins, 
Nute,  and  myself  preferred  the  ship’s  boat. 
We  were  accompanied  on  our  passage  the 
first  day  by  a large  number  of  the  natives. 
At  night,  as  we  had  then  succeeded  in  get- 
ting beyond  the  reef,  they  left  us,  and  we 
continued  our  course. 


7 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Regret  at  having  undertaken  the  voyage  in  boats. — Storrc 
and  damage  in  consequence  of  it. — Loss  of  the  canoe  and 
the  provisions  on  board. — Danger  of  perishing  from  famine. 
—On  the  fifteenth  day,  when  nearly  exhausted  with  fatigue 
and  hunger,  they  discover  a small  island. — Approach  of  eigh- 
teen canoes  filled  with  natives,  who  make  prisoners  of  them 
all. — Cruelty  of  the  natives  ; and  return  with  their  prison- 
ers to  the  island. — Reception  there. — The  prisoners  dis- 
tributed among  the  captors. 

We  had  not  proceeded  far  before  we  had 
reasons  for  regretting,  that  we  had  entered 
upon  the  perilous  undertaking  of  navigating 
the  waters  of  that  region  in  boats  so  poorly 
adapted  to  the  purposes  we  had  in  view. 
There  came  on  a violent  storm  of  rain,  the 
wind  blowing  hard,  and  the  waves  threat- 
ening to  swallow  us  each  moment  of  the 
night.  To  our  dismay,  the  rudder  of  the 
canoe,  owing  to  the  imperfect  manner  in 
which  it  had  been  constructed,  was  unship- 
ped, and  for  a time  the  destruction  of  those 
on  board  seemed  inevitable.  Fortunately  we 


NARRATIVE. 


75 


continued  to  keep  company.  By  great  ex- 
ertion we  made  out  to  replace  the  rudder  in 
the  morning,  and  then  proceeded.  In  the 
course  of  the  day  the  rudder  was  again  un- 
shipped ; but,  with  less  difficulty  than  before, 
we  succeeded  in  fastening  it  to  its  place  with 
ropes,  so  that  it  answered  tolerably  well  as 
a substitute  for  a better  one.  Happy  would 
it  have  been  for  us,  if  this  had  been  the 
worst  of  the  disasters  of  our  voyage.  Our 
mast  next  went  by  the  board : and  during 
the  whole  of  the  next  night,  we  lay  drifting 
at  the  mercy  of  the  winds  and  waves.  In  the 
mean  time  the  canoe  sprung  a leak,  and  we 
found  ^impossible  to  bail  out  the  water  as 
fast  as  it  came  in.  In  this  extremity  we  lost 
no  time  in  shifting  all  our  lading  into  one  end 
of  the  canoe;  and  by  tearing  up  our  old 
clothes,  and  stuffing  them  into  the  crack, 
we  at  length  stopped  the  leak.  In  this  sad 
plight  we  continued  on,  meeting  with  no 
very  serious  accident  till  the  fifth  day  from 
the  time  of  leaving  the  island ; when,  just  at 
the  setting  of  the  sun,  owing  to  some  mis- 
management, a light  puff  of  wind  capsized 


76 


NARRATIVE. 


the  canoe  ! Fortunately  no  one  was  drown- 
ed. All  but  three  swam  to  our  boat ; those 
who  remained  continued  through  the  night 
to  cling  to  the  canoe.  With  great  difficulty 
we  kept  our  boat  from  being  stove  in  pieces 
by  coming  in  contact  with  the  canoe.  Dur- 
ing all  this  time  it  rained  very  hard,  and 
never  had  we  experienced  a more  dismal 
night.  In  the  morning  we  tried  to  get  the 
canoe  right  side  up  ; but  finding  that  impos- 
sible, Ave  concluded  to  abandon  it  entirely. 
We  took  from  it  a few  cocoa-nuts,  and,  as 
our  last  resort,  all  took  refuge  in  the  boat. 
We  saved  the  compass,  and  did  not  so  much 
regret  the  loss  of  the  canoe,  as  it  had  «cost  us 
already  an  incalculable  amount  of  anxiety, 
toil,  and  suffering. 

But  new  difficulties  now  stared  us  in  the 
face.  Most  of  our  provisions  had  been  lost 
by  the  upsetting  of  the  canoe,  and  we  had 
but  a very  small  quantity  of  water.  It  was 
therefore  deemed  expedient  to  divide  among 
us  the  means  of  subsistence  remaining.  We 
had  four  cocoa-nuts  for  each  person,  and  a 
few  pieces  over,  which  were  distributed 


NARRATIVE. 


# 7 

uquallyv  At  this  time  no  objects  were  seen, 
except  a few  sea  birds.  We  continued  in 
this  condition  for  nine  days  and  nights,  with 
actual  starvation  before  us,  as  the  most  pro- 
bable end  of  our  anxieties  and  sufferings. 
W e were  about  settling  down  into  a state  of 
confirmed  despair,  when,  to  our  inexpressi- 
ble joy,  we  discovered  land  apparently  abou 
ten  miles  off.  We  exerted  all  our  remaining 
strength  to  reach  it.  When  within  six 
miles  we  saw,  approaching  us,  a fleet  of 
eighteen  canoes,  filled  with  the  natives  of 
the  small  island  we  were  approaching. 

At  first  the  small  canoes  came  near  us,  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  who  and  what 
we  were.  The  appearance  of  these  natives 
was  such  as  to  excite  at  once  our  astonish- 
ment and  disgust.  Like  the  inhabitants  of 
the  island  we  had  left,  they  were  entirely 
naked;  and,  as  our  subsequent  experience 
proved,  they  were  infinitely  more  barbarous 
and  cruel.  Very  soon  the  large  canoes  came 
up,  when  the  wretches  commenced  their 
outrages.  They  attacked  us  with  brutal 
ferocity,  knocking  us  overboard  with  their 
d 


78 


NARRATIVE. 


clubs,  in  the  mean  time  making  the  most 
frightful  grimaces,  and  yelling  like  so  many 
incarnate  devils.  They  fell  upon  our  boat 
and  immediately  destroyed  it,  breaking  it 
into  splinters,  and  taking  the  fragments  into 
their  canoes.  While  this  was  going  on  we 
were  swimming  from  one  canoe  to  another, 
entreating  them  by  signs  to  spare  our  lives 
and  permit  us  to  get  into  their  canoes. 
This  they  for  a long  time  refused,  beating 
us  most  unmercifully,  whenever  we  caught 
hold  of  any  thing  to  save  ourselves  from 
sinking. 

After  they  had  demolished  our  boat,  and 
kept  us  in  that  condition  for  some  time, 
they  allowed  us  to  get  on  board.  They  then 
compelled  us  to  row  towards  the  land.  They 
stripped  us  of  all  our  clothing  immediately 
after  we  were  taken  in ; and  the  reader  may 
form  some  idea  of  our  distress  in  this  con- 
dition, under  a burning  sun,  from  the  fact, 
that  before  night  our  shoulders  were  blister- 
ed, by  being  thus  exposed  to  the  heat. 

On  approaching  land  we  discovered  no 
habitation;  but  after  going  round  a point 


NARRATIVE. 


79 


of  the  island,  we  saw  near  the  beach  a row 
of  small  and  badly  constructed  huts.  We 
were  compelled  to  jump  from  the  canoes  in- 
to the  water  and  wade  to  the  shore.  By  this 
time  the  beach  was  lined  with  women  and 
children,  who  caused  the  air  to  resound  with 
the  most  horrid  yells  and  screams.  Their 
gestures  and  violent  contortions  of  counte- 
nance resembled  the  frantic  ravings  of 
Bedlamites. 

The  reception  we  met  with  on  land  was 
no  more  agreeable  than  that  upon  the  wa- 
ter. Judging  from  the  treatment  we  had  re- 
ceived from  the  females  of  the  island  which 
we  had  left,  it  was  hoped  that  the  gentler  sex 
would  extend  to  us  some  proof  of  their  com- 
miseration ; but  in  this  we  were  sadly  dis- 
appointed. If  possible,  they  were  more 
cruel  than  their  inhuman  lords  and  masters. 
We  were  soon  separated  from  each  other,  and 
dragged  about  from  place  to  place ; our  bru- 
tal captors,  in  the  mean  time,  contending 
with  each  other  to  see  who  should  have  us 
as  his  property. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


The  island,  to  which  they  were  carried,  proves  to  be  Lord 
North’s  island,  called  by  the  natives  To'bee. — Account  of  the 
island  and  its  inhabitants. — Their  manners  and  customs. 

It  may  now  be  proper  in  this  place  to 
give  some  account  of  the  place  where  our 
unhappy  lot  was  cast,  and  of  its  rude  and 
miserable  inhabitants.  It  will  be  impossible 
to  convey  a correct  idea  of  their  ignorance, 
poverty,  and  degradation;  but  some  con- 
ception may  be  formed,  by  imagining  what 
the  condition  of  beingo  must  necessarily  be, 
when  wholly  separated  from  the  rest  of  their 
species,  stripped  of  all  the  refinements  of 
life,  and  deprived  of  all  means  and  opportu- 
nities for  improvement. 

We  were  now  upon  the  small  piece  of 
land  called  by  the  natives  To'bee , but  known 
to  navigators  by  the  name  of  Lord  North's 
Island , situated  between  the  third  and  fourth 
degrees  of  north  latitude,  and  in  longitude 
one  hundred  and  thirty-one  degrees  twenty 
E 


82 


NARRATIVE. 


minutes  east.  It  is  also  known  by  the  name 
of  NeviVs  Island  and  Johnston's  Island ; and 
it  has  been  hitherto  considered  by  naviga- 
tors and  others  as  uninhabited.  This  is 
not  surprising ; as  we  were  told  by  the  na- 
tives, that  no  white  man  had  ever  visit- 
ed the  place;  though  it  seemed,  from  the 
pieces  of  iron  in  their  possession,  and  from 
other  circumstances,  that  they  had  had  some 
communication  with  the  Spaniards  and  Por- 
tuguese in  that  quarter  of  the  world.*  Like 
many  other  islands  in  those  seas,  this  is  sur- 
rounded by  a coral  reef,  which  is  from  an 
eighth  to  one  half  of  a mile  wide;  but  out- 
side of  the  reef  the  water  is  apparently  fa- 
thomless, the  water  being  as  blue  as  it  is  in 
the  middle  of  the  ocean ; and  the  largest 
vessels  may  in  many  places  approach  within 
a quarter  of  a mile  of  the  beach.  The 
whole  island  rises  so  little  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  that  the  swell  often  rolls  up  to  a 

* They  occasionally  wore  a kind  of  broad  hat,  called 
by  them  shappo , and  sometimes  shambardro  ; which  are 
evidently  derived  from  the  Portuguese  chapeo  (or  possibly 
the  French  chapeau)  and  the  Spanish  sombrero. — Edit. 


NARRATIVE. 


83 


considerable  distance  inland.  It  is  about 
three  quarters  of  a mile  in  length,  and  not 
far  from  half  a mile  in  width.  There  were 
upon  it  three  villages,  situated  on  the  shores, 
and  containing,  in  all,  between  three  and 
four  hundred  souls,  at  the  time  when  we 
were  taken  there  ; but  the  number  was  con- 
siderably diminished  by  famine  and  disease 
before  we  left. 

The  inhabitants  are  in  a state  of  entire 
barbarism  and  ignorance.  The  men  wear  a 
sort  of  girdle  or  belt  made  of  the  bark  of  a 
tree.  This  is  girded  round  the  loins  so  as 
to  leave  one  end  to  hang  loose  behind,  the 
other  is  brought  forward  and  fastened  to  the 
belt  in  front.  This  is  their  only  clothing. 
The  females,  after  arriving  at  the  age  of 
womanhood,  wear  an  apron  made  of  the 
leaves  of  a plant,  by  them  called  kurremung , 
split  into  fine  strips  and  plaited.  This  ex- 
tends from  the  loins  nearly  to  the  knees. 
Some  few  wear  rings  upon  their  wrists  made 
of  white  shells,  and  some  had  this  kind  of 
ornament  made  of  turtle-shell.  In  their  ears, 
which  are  always  bored>  they  sometimes 


84 


NARRATIVE. 


wear  a leaf;  and  round  their  necks  a necklace 
made  of  the  shell  of  the  cocoa-nut,  and  a 
small  white  shell,  called  keem  shell.  The 
children  go  entirely  naked.  The  complex- 
ion of  these  islanders  is  a light  copper  color  ; 
much  lighter  than  the  Malays,  or  the  Pelew 
islanders;  which  last,  however,  they  resem- 
ble in  the  breadth  of  th$ir  faces,  high  cheek 
bones,  and  broad  flattened  noses.  They  do 
not  color  their  teeth,  by  chewing  any  thing, 
as  many  of  those  islanders  do ; but  their 
teeth  are  so  strong  that  they  can  husk  a 
cocoa-nut  with  them  instantly. 

Their  principal  food  is  the  cocoa-nut. 
They  occasionally  succeed  in  procuring  fish, 
though  the  supply  obtained  during  our  resi- 
dence there  was  exceedingly  small.  Their 
fish-hooks  are  made  of  turtle-shell,  and  not 
well  contrived  for  the  purpose  ; but  we  could 
not  induce  them  to  use  our  hooks,  till  they 
had  heated  them  and  altered  their  form  so 
that  they  would  not  hold  the  fish.  They  did 
this,  because  they  said  that  Yarris  (God) 
would  be  angry  with  them,  if  they  used  our 
hooks  without  preparing  them  according  to 


NARRATIVE. 


85 


their  fashion.  Sometimes  they  are  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  obtain  a sea-turtle ; five  only  were 
taken  during  the  two  years  we  were  there. 
The  turtle,  I may  add,  has  something  of  a 
sacred  character  with  them.  They  also 
raise  small  quantities  of  a vegetable  some- 
what resembling  the  yam ; but  while  we 
were  with  them  they  were  unsuccessful  in 
cultivating  it.  These  constitute  the  slender 
means  of  their  support ; and  they  are  thus 
barely  kept  from  actual  death  by  famine,  but 
on  the  very  verge  of  starvation.  When  any 
one  of  them  begins  to  fail,  for  want  of  food, 
so  that  his  death  is  pretty  certain,  they  inhu- 
manly turn  him  off  from  among  them,  to 
starve  to  death. 

Their  religion  is  such  as  might  be  expected 
among  a people  in  their  condition.  Their 
place  of  worship  is  a rudely  constructed 
building,  or  hut,  about  fifty  feet  long  and 
thirty  wide.  In  the  centre,  suspended  from 
the  roof,  is  a sort  of  altar,  into  which  they 
suppose  their  deity  comes  to  hold  converse 
with  the  priest.  Rudely  carved  images  are 
placed  in  different  parts  of  the  building,  and 
8 


86 


NARRATIVE. 


are  s*„pposed  to  personate  their  divinity. 
As  nearly  as  could  be  ascertained  by  us, 
they  supposed  that  the  object  of  their  wor- 
ship was  of  like  passions  with  themselves, 
capricious  and  revengeful.  During  the  time 
we  were  with  them,  they  attributed  to  his 
displeasure  their  want  of  success  in  taking 
fish  as  they  had  done  in  former  times,  and 
the  unfruitfulness  of  their  bread-fruit  and 
cocoa  trees. 

Their  religious  ceremonies  are  singular. 
In  the  commencement  the  priest  walks  round 
the  altar  and  takes  from  it  a mat,  devoted 
to  the  purpose,  which  is  laid  upon  the 
ground.  He  then  seats  himself  upon  it,  and 
begins  to  hoot,  in  the  mean  time  throwing 
himself  into  a variety  of  attitudes,  for  the 
purpose  of  calling  down  the  divinity  into  the 
altar.  At  intervals  the  congregation  sing, 
but  immediately  stop  when  the  priest  breaks 
out  in  his  devotions.  By  the  side  of  the  al- 
tar is  always  placed  a large  bowl,  and  six 
cocoa-nuts.  After  the  incantation  is  gone 
through,  and  the  divinity  is  supposed  to  oe 
present,  the  bowl  is  turned  up,  and  four  of 


NARRATIVE. 


87 


che  nuts  are  broken  and  put  in  it,  two  be- 
ing reserved  for  the  exclusive  use  of  a priest 
by  them  called  arlso  66  y arris .”  As  soon  as 
the  nuts  are  broken,  one  of  the  company  be- 
gins to  shout,  and,  rushing  to  the  centre, 
seizes  the  bowl,  and  drinks  of  the  milk  of 
the  nut,  generally  spilling  a considerable 
part  of  it  upon  the  ground.  After  this  a 
few  pieces  are  thrown  to  the  images,  and 
the  remainder  are  eaten  by  the  priests. 
This  closes  the  ceremony  ; after  which  they 
indulge  in  any  recreations  that  chance  to 
please  them  best. 

While  we  were  on  the  island  several  earth- 
quakes happened,  and  some  of  them  pretty 
severe.  On  those  occasions  the  natives  were 
much  terrified;  they  would  not  let  their 
children  speak  a word ; and  they  said  among 
themselves — zahbee'too  Yarris,  To  bee  yet- 
tah'men , that  is,  Yarris  (God)  is  coming  and 
To'bee  (the  name  of  the  island)  will  sink. 
They  were  also  very  much  alarmed  at  thun- 
der and  lightning ; and  used  to  say  at  such 
times,  Yarris  tee’tree^  God  is  talking.  I do 
not  know  how  they  would  be  affected  by  an 


NARRATIVE. 


eclipse,  as  none  happened,  that  I noticed, 
while  we  remained  there. 

I will  here  mention  some  other  things  in 
respect  to  their  customs  and  usages,  as  they 
now  occur  to  me. 

Their  implements  of  war  are  spears  and 
clubs ; they  have  no  bows  and  arrows. 
Their  spears  are  made  of  the  wood  of  the 
cocoa-nut  trees;  the  points  of  them  are 
set  with  rows  of  sharks’  teeth;  and,  being 
at  the  same  time  very  heavy  and  from  ten  to 
twenty  feet  long,  are  formidable  weapons. 

Their  canoes  are  made  of  logs  which 
drift  to  their  island  from  other  places,  there 
being  no  trees  on  it  large  enough  for  that 
purpose ; they  are  hollowed  out  with  great 
labor,  and  are  of  very  clumsy  workmanship; 
to  prevent  their  oversetting,  they  are  fitted 
up  with  outriggers,  like  those  of  the  Pelew 
islanders.  A sketch  of  one  is  given  in  the 
accompanying  engraving. 

They  kindle  their  fires,  as  they  informed 
me,  by  rubbing  two  pieces  of  wood  toge- 
ther, as  is  common  in  the  islands  of  the 
Pacific  ocean ; and  they  cook  their  turtle  or 


NARRATIVE. 


89 


other  meat,  (when  they  are  so  fortunate  as 
to  have  any,)  as  well  as  their  vegetables,  by 
covering  them  with  heated  stones.  I should 
state,  however,  that  during  the  whole  time 
we  staid  among  them,  fire  was  always  pre- 
served in  some  part  of  the  island,  so  that 
there  was  no  necessity  for  kindling  it  in  the 
manner  here  mentioned. 

Like  other  savage  people,  they  reckon 
time  by  moons ; I could  not  learn  that  they 
ever  reckoned  by  any  other  period,  except, 
indeed,  when  speaking  of  two  or  three  days. 

They  take  pride  in  their  hair,  and  are 
particularly  careful  about  it,  washing  and 
cleansing  it  almost  every  day.  They  do 
not  color  it,  however,  as  the  natives  of  some 
islands  are  said  to  do ; but  they  moisten  it 
with  the  juice  pressed  out  from  the  cocoa- 
nut,  which  gives  it  a very  glossy  appear- 
ance ; and  it  is  frequently  so  long  as  to  reach 
down  to  their  waist. 

Their  mode  of  salutation  is,  to  clasp  each 
other  in  their  arms,  and  touch  their  noses  to- 
gether, as  is  practised  in  many  other  islands. 

We  found  no  musical  instruments  of  any 


90 


NARRATIVE. 


kind  among  them.  They  sometimes,  on 
particular  occasions,  would  sing  or  bawl 
out  something  like  a rude  tune;  but  we 
could  not  understand  it.  We  frequently 
tried  to  teach  them  to  whistle,  and  their 
awkward  attempts  to  do  it  amused  us ; but 
they  never  were  able  to  learn  how  it  was 
done. 

In  their  names,  I could  not  find  that 
they  had  any  thing  like  a family  name,  but 
:>nly  a single  one,  (corresponding  to  our 
Christian  names,)  as  is  the  case,  I believe, 
throughout  the  islands  of  the  Pacific.  I 
could  not  learn,  that  the  names  were  signifi- 
cant either  of  animals  or  other  objects,  as  the 
Indian  names  of  America  are,  and  I never 
found  any  two  persons  of  the  same  name. 
The  names  of  the  members  of  the  family 
with  which  I lived  were  as  follows  : — 

Pahrahboo'ah,  the  father  of  the  family. 

Nah'kit,  the  mother. 

Buhwur'timar,  the  eldest  child,  a son,  ten 
or  twelve  years  old. 

Kobaw'ut,  the  second,  a daughter. 

Kobahnoo'uk,  the  third,  a daughter. 

Wah'rebo,  the  fourth,  a son. 


NARRATIVE. 


91 


The  children  do  not  address  their  parents 
by  any  word  corresponding  to  father  or  mo- 
ther, papa  or  mamma,  but  by  their  names. 
Their  parents  treat  them  on  the  footing  of 
equality ; they  are  generally  well  behaved, 
and  are  never  punished,  except  occasionally 
when  impatient  for  their  food. 

Their  language  appears  to  be  different 
from  those  of  the  other  islands  in  that  quar- 
er ; we  found  that  the  three  natives  of  the 
Pelew  islands,  that  accompanied  us,  could 
not  understand  any  thing  they  said ; though 
I observed  afterwards,  occasionally,  a re- 
semblance in  two  or  three  words.  The  rea- 
der will,  however,  be  enabled  to  judge  for 
himself,  by  means  of  a short  vocabulary  of 
common  words  which  will  be  found  at  the 
end  of  this  narrative.  I may  add,  that  the 
Pelew  chiefs  had  never  heard  of  Lord  North’s 
island;  but  they  are  acquainted  with  the 
Caroline  islands. 

A detail  of  all  that  befell  us  would  serve 
only  to  give  pain  to  the  benevolent,  or  at 
most  to  show  how  much  human  beings  can 
endure.  I shall  attempt  but  little  more  than 


92 


NARRATIVE. 


to  describe  the  sufferings  of  a day  ; observ- 
ing once  for  all,  that  for  the  term  of  two 
long  years  we  experienced  the  same  priva- 
tions, and  were  subjected  to  the  same  brutal 
treatment ; life,  during  all  that  time,  being 
no  better  than  the  constant  succession  of  the 
most  acute  sufferings. 

This  island,  unlike  the  Pelews,  is  one  of 
the  most  horrible  and  wretched  on  the  face 
of  the  globe.  The  only  product  of  its  soil 
worth  mentioning  is  the  cocoa-tree ; and  those 
are  of.  so  dwarfish  and  miserable  a growth 
as  to  bear  but  very  few  nuts.  These  few, 
however,  constitute  the  food  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, with  the  exception  of  a species  of  fish 
caught  occasionally  near  the  shore.  The  only 
animals  or  creeping  things  known  on  the  isl- 
and are  lizards  and  mice,  and,  during  our 
stay  there,  scarcely  a solitary  sea-fowl  was 
known  to  have  alighted  on  the  island,  and 
but  few  fish  were  taken  by  the  natives. 

The  character  of  the  inhabitants  much 
resembles  that  of  the  island  itselt.  Cowardly 
and  servile,  yet  most  barbarous  and  cruel, 
they  combine,  in  their  habits,  tempers,  and 


NARRATIVE. 


93 


dispositions,  the  most  disgusting  and  loath- 
some features  that  disgrace  humanity. 
And,  what  may  be  regarded  as  remarkable, 
the  female  portion  of  the  inhabitants  out- 
strip the  men  in  cruelty  and  savage  depra- 
vity ; so  much  so,  that  we  were  frequently 
indebted  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  men 
for  escapes  from  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
women.  The  indolence  of  the  natives, 
which  not  even  the  fear  of  starvation  itself 
can  rouse  to  exertion,  prevents  their  under- 
taking the  least  toil,  although  a little  labor, 
well  applied,  might  be  made  to  render  them 
infinitely  more  comfortable.^ 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  it  is  neverthe- 
less true,  that,  notwithstanding  they  are  in 
this  miserable  condition,  with  no  prospect 
of  its  ever  being  improved,  they  are  of  the 
opinion  that  they  are  highly  favored.  This 
can  be  accounted  for  in  no  other  way  than 
by  the  fact,  that  they  are  entirely  ignorant  of 
all  that  lies  beyond  the  narrow  limits  of  their 

* Some  of  these  remarks  are  taken  from  the  New 
York  Sun  of  May  30,  1835 ; for  which  paper  the  sub- 
stance of  them  was  furnished  by  Mr.  Nute  and  myself. 


94 


NARRATIVE. 


observation.  They  know  nothing  of  any 
other  portion  of  the  globe,  than  the  mere 
speck  of  barren  land  upon  which  by  some 
accident  they  were  thrown,  and  where  they 
remain,  to  drag  out  a wretched  existence. 
Their  traditions  do  not  extend  further  back 
than  to  about  a hundred  years ; and,  to  their 
simple  minds,  it  seems  like  a splendid  effort 
of  mind  to  be  able  to  relate,  with  tolerable 
accuracy,  the  time-hallowed  stories  told 
them  by  their  parents.  Whether  they  could 
in  any  way  be  improved  by  instruction,  is 
a question  which  it  would  be  difficult  to 
answer.  They  seem  to  be  doomed  to  re- 
main, as  one  of  the  last  links  in  the  chain 
that  connects  our  race  with  the  mere  ani- 
mal part  of  the  creation. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


A ship  discovered  at  a small  distance  from  the  island. — The 
natives  prepare  to  go  on  board  of  her. — Captain  Barnard  and 
Bartlet  Rollins,  after  being  severely  beaten,  are  allowed  to 
go  with  the  natives  in  their  canoes,  and  thus  effect  their 
escape  ; the  rest  of  the  Mentor’s  people  are  still  forcibly  de- 
tained on  the  island. — Their  hopes  of  being  taken  on  board 
of  the  same  ship  are  suddenly  blasted. — Their  despondency 
on  that  disappointment. — Return  of  the  natives  from  the 
ship  ; their  rage,  and  quarrels  about  the  division  of  the  arti- 
cles procured  on  board  of  her. — They  threaten  to  wreak 
their  vengeance  on  the  Mentor’s  people  that  remained  with 
them. — Their  cruel  treatment  of  them. — A storm  destroys 
the  cocoa-nut  trees  and  causes  a scarcity  of  food. 

We  were  captured  and  taken  to  the  isl- 
and December  6,  1832 ; and  on  the  third 
day  of  February,  1833,  two  months  wanting 
three  days,  captain  Barnard  and  Bartlet 
Rollins  effected  their  escape.  Compared 
with  the  remainder  of  our  captivity,  our  pri- 
vations and  sufferings  up  to  that  time  were 
less  severe.  But  at  no  time  did  we  have 
sufficient  food  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hun- 
ger ! The  very  crumbs  that  fall  from  an 


96 


Narrative. 


ordinary  table  would  have  been  to  us  a lux- 
ury ; the  swine  of  America  are  better  fed 
than  we  were,  on  the  most  fortunate  day  of 
our  residence  upon  that  island. 

It  was  on  the  day  above  mentioned  that  a 
ship  was  discovered  a short  distance  from 
the  island,  and  the  natives  immediately  col- 
lected, and  prepared  to  go  to  it,  in  order  to 
obtain  iron,  or  some  other  articles  of  value. 
Hope  once  more  visited  us.  To  escape  was, 
of  course,  our  strong  desire  and  intention. 
Accordingly,  when  the  canoes  put  off  we  at- 
tempted to  go.  Our  savage  masters  inter- 
posed their  authority,  and  by  menaces  and 
blows  prevented  us.  Many  of  us  were  se- 
verely beaten,  and  all  but  two  were  detain- 
ed by  the  brutal  force  of  the  savages.  At 
length  captain  Barnard  and  Rollins,  after 
being  severely  beaten,  were  allowed  to  ac- 
company the  natives  to  the  ship,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  effecting  their  escape.  Trusting 
to  the  humanity  of  the  captain  and  crew, 
we  for  some  time  confidently  expected,  that 
they  would  contrive  some  way  of  enabling 
us  to  join  them.  They  were  in  sight  about 


NARRATIVE. 


97 


three  hours ; at  one  time  they  were  so  near 
that  we  could  distinctly  see  the  hands  on 
board ; but  judge  of  our  feelings  when  we 
saw  the  vessel  pursuing  her  course  ! Our 
expectations  were,  all  blasted  in  a moment, 
and  our  minds,  which  had  been  gladdened 
by  the  hope  of  once  more  enjoying  the  so- 
ciety of  civilized  beings,  of  once  more  reach- 
ing the  shores  of  our  beloved  country,  sunk 
back  into  a state  of  despair ; we  wept  like 
children. 

The  natives,  when  they  returned  from  the 
vessel,  brought  with  them  a small  quantity 
of  iron  hoops,  and  a few  articles  of  some 
little  value,  but  they  were  highly  dissatis- 
fied with  the  amount  received,  and  greatly 
enraged.  The  division  of  the  property 
caused  much  difficulty,  and  they  quarrelled 
about  it  for  several  days.  Those  of  us  who 
remained,  though  innocent,  were  the  great- 
est sufferers.  They  held  us  accountable  for 
the  conduct  of  those  who  had  left,  and  vent- 
ed the  malignity  of  their  unfeeling  hearts 
upon  us.  We  were  given  to  understand, 
that  now  our  doom  was  fixed;  that  we 


98 


NARRATIVE. 


should  remain  with  them,  and  die  the  vic- 
tims of  our  tormentors  ! Alas  ! it  was  but 
too  true,  that  such  was  to  be  the  fate  of  all 
but  two  of  our  number ! We  were  destined 
to  see  one  after  another  of  our  fellow-suffe- 
rers sink  under  the  constantly  increasing  se- 
verity of  the  burdens  imposed  upon  them, 
and  perish  either  from  actual  starvation,  or 
by  the  blows  of  the  savages. 

After  the  departure  of  the  captain  and 
Rollins,  we  were  treated  with  much  greater 
severity  than  we  had  been  before.  Gene- 
rally we  were  aroused  from  our  broken 
slumbers  about  sunrise,  and  compelled  to  go 
to  work ; we  were  usually  employed  in  cul- 
tivating a species  ofVegetable  somewhat  re- 
sembling the  yam,  and  called  by  them  “/ro- 
"ei”  This  root  is  raised  in  beds  of  mud, 
which  are  prepared  by  digging  out  the  sand, 
and  filling  the  place  with  mould.  The 
whole  of  this  labor  was  performed  with  the 
hands.  We  were  compelled  day  after  day 
to  stand  in  the  mud  from  morning  till  night, 
and  to  turn  up  the  mud  with  our  hands. 
Frequently  we  were  required  to  do  this  with- 


NARRATIVE. 


99 


out  receiving  a morsel  of  food  till  about 
noon,  and  sometimes  we  were  left  without 
any  thing  to  eat  till  night.  At  best  we  could 
get  no  more  than  a small  piece  of  cocoa-nut, 
hardly  a common  sized  mouthful,  at  a time, 
and  if,  either  from  exhaustion  or  any  other 
cause,  we  neglected  to  perform  the  required 
amount  of  labor,  our  pittance  of  food  was 
withheld  altogether. 

From  this  plain  and  unexaggerated  ac- 
count it  will  be  seen,  that  our  condition  at 
best  was  bad  enough;  but  a misfortune  be- 
fell us  which  rendered  it  still  worse.  About 
four  months  from  the  time  of  our  landing  on 
that  dreary  spot,  there  was  a violent  storm, 
which  came  very  near  sweeping  away  the 
whole  of  the  means  of  support  which  re- 
mained for  the  miserable  inhabitants.  The 
wind  blew  down  many  of  the  best  cocoa 
trees,  and  materially  injured  the  fruit  on 
such  as  were  left  standing.  Besides  this, 
the  low  places  in  which  they  raised  the  root, 
by  them  called  “ korei were  mostly  filled 
with  sand,  and  famine  stared  us  all  in  the 
tace. 


100 


NARRATIVE. 


They  attributed  this  misfortune  to  the  an- 
ger of  their  god,  and  did  not  fail  to  use  such 
means  as  they  thought  best  calculated  to 
appease  him  ; and  the  calamity  greatly  ad- 
ded to  our  sufferings.  Besides  subjecting 
us  to  still  more  severe  deprivations,  we  were 
compelled  (though  hardly  able  to  drag  our 
limbs  from  place  to  place)  to  labor  in  re- 
pairing the  damage  done  by  the  storm.  We 
were  employed  for  months  in  carrying  in 
our  arms  and  on  our  shoulders  pieces  of  the 
coral  rock,  in  order  to  form  a sort  of  sea- 
wall to  prevent  the  waves  from  washing 
away  the  trees;  and  this  drudgery,  consi- 
dering that  we  were  naked,  under  a burning 
sun,  and  reduced  to  nothing  but  skin  and 
bones,  was  too  severe  to  admit  of  any  thing 
like  an  adequate  description.  Our  flesh,  or,  to 
speak  more  properly,  our  skin — for  flesh  we 
had  none — was  frequently  so  torn  by  the 
sharp  corners  of  the  rock,  and  scorched  by 
the  sun,  as  to  resemble  more  that  of  the  rhi- 
noceros than  of  human  beings. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


The  natives  compel  the  Mentor’s  people  to  be  tattooed.—  De- 
scription of  that  painful  operation. — They  also  oblige  them 
to  pluck  their  beards,  &c. — Another  vessel  passes  by  the 
island ; and,  afterwards,  a third  comes  in  sight  and  remains 
for  three  days ; the  Mentor’s  people  are  closely  guarded  at 
these  times. — The  melancholy  fate  of  William  Sedon; 
and  the  barbarous  murder  of  Peter  Andrews. — Attack  on  H. 
Holden,  who  is  protected  by  one  of  the  natives,  and  escapes. 
— B.  Nute  and  others  are  protected  by  the  female  natives 
from  the  fury  of  the  men. — Death  of  one  of  the  Pelew  chiefs. 
—'•Another  of  the  Pelew  people  is  detected  in  stealing,  and 
is  punished  in  their  manner. — Death  of  Milton  Hewlet 
and  Charles  C.  Bouket;  leaving  now  only  B.  Nute,  H. 
Holden,  and  the  other  Pelew  chief,  named  Kobak , who  all 
remained  in  a feeble  and  helpless  condition. — Filthy  prac- 
tices of  the  natives. — Friendship  of  the  surviving  Pelew  chief. 

i 

A new  trial  now  awaited  us.  Th&  bar- 
barous beings  among  whom  GUr  lot  had  been 
cast,  deemed  it  important  that  we  should  be 
tattooed , and  we  were  compelled  to  submit 
to  the  distressing  operation.  We  expostu- 
lated against  it — we  entreated — we  begged 
to  be  spared  this  additional  affliction ; but 
our  entreaties  were  of  no  use.  Those  sa- 
F 


102 


NARRATIVE. 


vages  were  not  to  be  moved,  and  we  were 
compelled  to  submit;  and  that  the  reader 
may  form  some  idea  of  the  painful  process, 
I will  here  give  a brief  account  of  it. 

We  were  in  the  first  place  securely  bound 
down  to  the  ground,  and  there  held  fast  by 
our  tormentors.  They  then  proceeded  to 
draw  with  a sharp  stick  the  figures  design- 
ed to  be  imprinted  on  the  skin.  This  done, 
the  skin  was  thickly  punctured  with  a little 
instrument  made  of  sharpened  fish  bones, 
and  somewhat  resembling  a carpenter’s 
adz  in  miniature,  but  having  teeth,  in- 
stead of  a smooth,  sharp  edge.  This  instru- 
ment was  held  within  an  inch  or  two  of 
the  flesh,  and  struck  into  it  rapidly  with 
a piece  of  wood,  applied  to  it  in  such  a man- 
£er  as  to  cause  it  to  rebound  at  every  stroke. 
In  this  lvay  our  breasts  and  arms  were  pre- 
pared;  and  subsequently  the  ink,  which 
was  made  of  a vegetable  found  on  the  isl- 
and called  by  them  the  “ savvcm,"  was  appli- 
ed. The  operation  caused  such  an  inflam- 
mation of  our  bodies,  that  only  a portion 
could  be  done  at  one  time ; and  as  soon  as 


NARRATIVE. 


103 


the  inflammation  abated  another  portion 
was  done,  as  fast  as  we  could  bear  it,  till 
our  bodies  were  covered.  It  was  effectually 
done ; for  to  this  day  the  figures  remain  as 
distinct  as  they  were  when  first  imprinted, 
and  the  marks  will  be  carried  by  us  to  the 
grave.  They  were  exceedingly  anxious  to 
perform  the  operation  upon  our  faces ; but 
this  we  would  not  submit  to,  telling  them 
that  sooner  than  have  it  done  we  would  die 
in  resisting  them.  Among  themselves,  the 
oldest  people  had  the  greatest  quantity  of 
tattooing,  and  the  younger  class  less. 

Besides  the  operation  of  tattooing , they 
compelled  us  to  pluck  the  hair  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  body,  and  to  pluck  our 
beards  about  every  ten  days,  which  was  ex- 
tremely painful ; and  at  every  successive  ope- 
ration the  beard  grew  out  harder  and  stiffer. 

About  seventeen  days  after  the  captain 
and  Rollins  left,  we  saw  a vessel  to  the 
windward ; but  the  natives  did  not  attempt 
to  visit  it.  Five  months  afterwards  another 
came  in  sight,  and  remained  for  three  days 
near  the  island.  At  one  time  we  could  dis- 


104 


NARRATIVE. 


tinctly  see  the  men  on  board ; but  we  were 
kept  on  shore  and  closely  guarded.  Several 
canoes  visited  the  ship,  and  brought  back  a 
few  pieces  of  iron,  fish-hooks,  glass  bottles, 
foe.  We  tried,  but  in  vain,  to  escape.  It 
seemed  to  us,  that  we  were  doomed  to  remain 
on  that  dreary  spot,  to  wear  out  our  remain- 
ing strength  in  hopeless  bondage,  and  to 
submit  to  the  control  of  brutal  masters, 
whose  tender  mercies  were  cruelties.  Death, 
in  any  form,  would  have  been  a relief,  and 
often  did  we  see  moments  when  it  would 
have  been  welcomed  as  the  best  of  friends ! 
To  some  of  our  companions  it  did  come, 
though  dreadful  in  the  manner,  yet  as  a 
not  unwelcome  alternative. 

About  a year  after  we  first  arrived  at  the 
island,  William  Sedon  became  so  reduced 
as  to  deprive  us  of  all  hopes  of  his  recovery. 
He  looked  iike  a skeleton ; and,  at  last,  was 
so  entirely  exhausted  by  hunger,  as  to  be 
unable  to  walk,  or  even  to  rise  from  the 
ground.  He  continued,  however,  to  crawl 
from  place  to  place,  until  all  his  remaining 
strength  was  nearly  gone,  when  the  inhu- 


NARRATIVE. 


106 


man  monsters  placed  him  in  an  old  canoe, 
and  sent  him  adrift  on  the  ocean  ! Gladly 
would  his  unhappy  shipmates  have  extend- 
ed to  him  the  last  sad  offices  of  friendship  ; 
that  poor  consolation  was  denied  both  him 
and  us  ! My  heart  bleeds  at  the  recollec- 
tion of  our  separation  and  his  melancholy 
fate — when  we  saw  him  anxiously  turn  his 
languid  eyes  towards  those  who  were  doom- 
ed still  to  linger  on  the  borders  of  the  grave  ! 
Our  sighs  were  breathed  almost  in  silence, 
and  our  tears  were  shed  in  vain  ! 

It  may  be  observed  here,  that  it  is  not 
their  custom  to  deposit  the  bodies  of  any  of 
their  dead  in  the  earth,  except  very  young 
children.  The  bodies  of  grown  people,  af- 
ter death,  are  laid  in  a canoe  an$  committed 
to  the  ocean. 

It  was  soon  our  lot  to  part  with  another 
of  our  companions,  Peter  Andrews.  He 
was  accused  by  the  natives  of  some  trifling 
offence,  and  put  to  death.  The  savages 
knocked  him  down  with  their  clubs,  and 
then  despatched  him  in  the  most  cruel  and 
most  shocking  manner.  I was  at  this  time 


106 


NARRATIVE. 


at  a distance  from  the  place  where  he  was 
killed.  My  master  was  absent;  and  upon 
my  hearing  a noise  in  the  direction  of  the 
place  where  the  foul  business  was  transact- 
ed, and  suspecting  that  all  was  not  right,  I 
started  to  see  what  was  going  on.  I was 
near  the  beach  when  I saw  a number  of  the 
savages  coming  towards  the  spot  where  I 
stood,  dragging  along  the  lifeless  and  man- 
gled body  of  our  comrade ! One  of  them 
approached  me  behind,  and  knocked  me 
down  with  his  club.  The  body  of  Andrews 
was  thrown  into  the  sea,  and  it  seemed  to 
be  their  determination  to  destroy  the  whole 
of  us.  I warded  off  the  blows  aimed  at  me 
as  well  as  I could,  and  recovering  myself, 
ran  towards  the  hut  of  my  master.  He  had 
not  yet  returned ; but,  fortunately,  an  old 
man,  who  had  previously  shown  some  re- 
gard for  me,  and  who  was  the  particular 
friend  of  my  master,  happened  at  that  mo- 
ment to  be  passing;  and  seizing  the  man 
who  had  pursued  me,  held  him  fast.  I es- 
caped and  ran  into  the  hut,  and  crawled  up 
through  an  aperture  in  the  floor  into  the 


NARRATIVE. 


107 


chamber  under  the  roof.  I seized  an  old 
box  and  covered  up  the  hole  through  which 
I had  ascended ; but  this  was  not  sufficient 
to  detain,  for  any  great  length  of  time,  the 
wretches  who  were  thirsting  for  my  blood. 
They  soon  succeeded  in  displacing  the  box, 
and  one  of  them  seized  me ; but  just  as  he 
was  pulling  me  from  my  place  of  refuge,  my 
master  returned  with  several  of  his  friends, 
and  rescued  me  from  the  clutches  of  my 
enemies. 

In  the  mean  time  Nute  and  the  rest  of  our 
companions  were  at  the  u Tahboo a place 
of  public  resort,  where,  for  the  only  time, 
the  females  rendered  our  people  any  assis- 
tance. They  concealed  the  men  under  some 
mats,  and  kept  them  there  till  the  fury  of 
the  natives  had  in  a measure  subsided. 

We  were  next  called  upon  to  part  with 
one  of  the  Pelew  chiefs  who  had  come  with 
us.  He  died  of  absolute  starvation,  and, 
according  to  custom,  was  committed  to  the 
waves  in  an  old  canoe.  In  a short  time  af- 
ter this,  the  Pelew  private  (who  had  also 
come  with  us)  was  detected  in  the  crime  of 


108 


NARRATIVI. 


taking  a few  cocoa-nuts  without  leave ; for 
which  offence  he  had  his  hands  tied  behind 
him,  and  was  put  into  a canoe  and  sent 
adrift;  which  was  their  usual  method  of 
punishment  for  offences  of  different  kinds. 

About  a year  and  seven  months  from  the 
commencement  of  our  captivity  Milton  Hew- 
let  died,  and,  like  the  others,  was,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  natives,  committed  to 
the  ocean.  A short  time  afterwards  Charles 
C.  Bouket,  having  become  so  reduced  by  his 
sufferings  as  to  be  unable  to  help  himself, 
was  (horrible  to  relate !)  placed  in  a canoe, 
while  still  alive,  and  committed  to  the  mercy 
of  the  ocean.  Thus  did  one  after  another 
of  our  companions  sink  under  the  weight  of 
their  sufferings,  and  perish  without  any  alle- 
viation of  their  wretchedness.  Nute  and 
myself,  with  our  friend  Kobac , the  other  Pe- 
lew  chief,  were  all  that  remained ; and  we 
were  constantly  expecting  that  the  next 
hour  would  end  our  existence. 

The  idea  of  death,  however,  had  now  be- 
come familiar ; and  often  did  we  desire  the 
release  from  suffering  which  that  alone  could 


NARRATIVE. 


109 


afford.  Nothing,  as  it  now  appears  to  us, 
but  the  kind  interposition  of  Providence, 
could  have  continued  our  lives,  and  have 
given  us  the  power  of  endurance  to  hold  out 
so  long  as  we  did.  We  were  frequently  so 
reduced  as  to  be  unable  to  walk,  and  were 
forced  to  drag  ourselves  on  our  hands  and 
knees  to  some  place  where  we  could  lie 
down  under  the  shade  of  a bush,  and  take 
rest.  But  the  small  comfort  to  be  obtained 
in  this  way  was  greatly  lessened  by  the  an- 
noyance of  musquetoes,  which  could  attack 
us  with  impunity  in  our  helpless  and  feeble 
condition.  Besides  this,  our  flesh  had  so 
fallen  away,  that  on  lying  down,  our  bones 
would  actually  pierce  through  the  skin,  giv- 
ing us  the  most  severe  pain.  After  we  were 
tattooed,  the  parts  operated  upon  were,  for 
a long  time,  running  sores ; and  when  ex- 
posed to  the  sun,  the  pain  was  excruciating. 

It  has  been  already  said,  that  the  natives 
were  indolent,  filthy  and  degraded,  but  the 
half  has  not  been  told;  and  some  things 
which  we  witnessed  cannot  be  related.  The 
intercourse  of  the  sexes  was  unrestrained  by 


110 


NARRATIVE. 


any  law ; and  the  decencies  of  life  were  al- 
most entirely  neglected.  Instead  of  taking 
pains  to  keep  clean,  they,  seemed  to  be  not 
unwilling  to  have  their  heads  overrun  with 
vermin ; and  however  incredible  it  may 
seem,  it  is  a disgusting  truth,  that  they  are 
accustomed  to  eat  them  ; and  particular  care 
seems  to  be  taken  to  keep  those  loathsome 
animals  in  the  heads  of  the  children.  But 
I forbear  any  further  particulars. 

I have  already  said,  that  only  two  of  the 
crew  of  the  Mentor,  namely,  Nute  and  my- 
self, remained  alive,  with  the  exception  of 
captain  Barnard  and  Rollins,  who  had  for- 
tunately escaped.  The  Pelew  chief  had 
become  strongly  attached  to  us,  and  we  take 
pleasure  in  stating  the  fact,  that  his  faithful- 
ness and  affection  had  greatly  endeared  him 
to  us.  He  seemed  more  like  a brother  than 
a barbarian  ; and  most  gladly  would  we  have 
saved  him  from  those  sufferings  which,  no 
doubt,  before  this  time,  have  terminated  his 
life.  Alas  ! it  was  not  in  our  power  to  ad- 
minister to  his  relief ; and  when  we  last  saw 
him  he  was  but  just  alive* 


CHAPTER  X. 


The  feeble  and  exhausted  condition  of  the  survivors,  Note  »na 
Holden. — The  natives  consent  to  release  them  from  labor, 
but  refuse  them  food ; and  they  obtain  permission  to  leave 
the  island  in  the  first  vessel,  for  a compensation  to  be  made 
to  the  natives. — They  crawl  about  from  place  to  place,  sub- 
sisting upon  leaves,  and  occasionally  begging  a little  food 
of  the  natives,  for  two  months. — Their  sudden  joy  at  hear- 
ing of  a vessel  coming  towards  the  island. — It  proves  to  be 
the  British  barque  Britannia,  captain  Short,  bound  to  Can- 
ton.— They  are  taken  on  board  the  Britannia,  November  27, 
1834,  and  treated  with  the  kindest  attention. — Their  joy  and 
gratitude  at  this  happy  termination  of  their  sufferings. — 
They  gradually  recover  their  health  so  far  as  to  take  passage 
for  America,  in  the  ship  Morrison,  bound  for  New  York, 
where  they  arrive  May  5,  1835. — Acknowledgments  for 
their  kind  reception  at  New  York  and  Boston. 

Haying  thus  briefly  related  the  story  of 
our  captivity  and  sufferings,  it  only  remains 
to  give  an  account  of  our  escape  from  this 
barbarous  people.  We  continued  to  survive 
the  horrible  sufferings  to  which  we  were 
constantly  subjected,  and  to  serve  our  ty- 
rannical masters,  in  despite  of  our  agonies 


112 


NARRATIVE. 


of  body  and  mind,  till  the  beginning  of  the 
autumn  of  1834 ; at  which  time  we  had 
become  so  emaciated,  feeble,  and  sickly, 
that  we  found  it  impossible  any  longer  even 
to  attempt  to  labor.  By  this  time  we  had 
acquired  a sufficient  knowledge  of  their 
tongue  to  converse  fluently  with  the  natives, 
and  we  informed  our  masters,  that  our  feeble 
condition  rendered  it  impossible  for  us  to  at- 
tempt to  do  any  thing  more.  We  also  rea- 
soned the  matter  with  them,  telling  them 
that  death  was  our  inevitable  doom,  unless 
we  were  allowed  to  relax  our  labor;  that 
if  we  died  we  could  be  of  no  service  to  them, 
but  if  allowed  a respite,  and  we  lived,  and 
could  be  put  on  board  a vessel,  they  should 
be  liberally  rewarded. 

With  much  difficulty  we  at  length  per- 
suaded our  masters  to  allow  us  to  quit  labor, 
and  obtained  from  them  a promise  to  be  put 
on  board  the  first  vessel  that  should  come  to 
the  island.  But,  at  the  same  time,  they  in- 
formed us,  that  if  we  ceased  to  work,  they 
should  cease  to  furnish  the  miserable  allow- 
ance of  cocoa-nut  on  which  we  had  before 


NARRATIVE. 


113 


subsisted,  and  that  we  must  either  labor  or 
starve.  We  deemed  death  as  welcome  in 
one  shape  as  in  another,  and  relinquished 
our  labors  and  our  pittance  of  food  together. 

We  were  thus  literally  turned  out  to  die  ! 
We  crawled  from  place  to  place,  subsisting 
upon  leaves,  and  now  and  then  begging  of 
the  natives  a morsel  of  cocoa-nut.  In  this 
way  we  contrived  to  live  for  about  two 
months,  when  the  joyful  intelligence  was 
brought  to  us  that  a vessel  was  in  sight,  and 
was  coming  near  the  island ! Hope  once 
more  revisited  our  despairing  hearts,  and 
seemed  to  inspire  us  with  renewed  strength 
and  animation. 

After  taxing  our  exhausted  powers  to  the 
utmost,  we  persuaded  the  natives  to  prepare 
for  visiting  the  vessel;  and  throwing  our 
emaciated  bodies  into  their  canoes,  we  made 
for  the  ship  with  all  possible  despatch.  The 
vessel  proved  to  be  the  British  barque  Bri- 
tannia, captain  Short,  bound  to  Canton. 
Our  reception  on  board  is  faithfully  describ- 
ed in  the  following  certificate  given  by  cap- 


? 


114 


narrative. 


tain  Short,  the  original  of  which  is  still  in 
my  possession  : 

“ Lintin,  29th  December,  1834. 

“ This  is  to  certify,  that  on  the  27th  day  of 
November,  1834,  off  the  small  island  com- 
monly called  Lord  North’s  by  the  English, 
situated  in  latitude  3°  3'  north,  and  lon- 
gitude 131°  20'  east,  on  board  the  British 
barque  Britannia,  bound  to  Canton  river, 
we  observed  about  ten  or  eleven  canoes, 
containing  upwards  of  one  hundred  men, 
approaching  the  vessel,  in  a calm,  or 
nearly  so,  with  the  intention  of  coming 
alongside.  But  having  the  small  comple- 
ment of  thirteen  men,  it  was  considered  most 
prudent  to  keep  them  off,  which  was  effect- 
ed by  firing  a few  six  pound  shots  in  a con- 
trary direction  from  the  boats,  some  of  which 
were  then  within  pistol-shot.  At  the  same 
time  hearing  cries  in  our  own  language,  beg- 
ging to  be  taken  on  board,  the  boat  was  des- 
patched away  to  know  the  cause.  The 
boat  returned  to  the  ship,  and  reported  an 
American  on  board  one  of  them.  She  was 


NARRATIVE. 


115 


then  sent  back,  having  strict  orders  to  act 
with  caution,  and  the  man  got  from  the  ca- 
noe into  the  sea,  and  was  taken  up  by  the 
ship’s  boat,  and  brought  on  board.  He  then 
stated  in  what  manner  he  came  there,  and 
said  he  had  another  of  his  countrymen  in 
another  canoe.  I said  if  we  could  get  some 
of  the  boats  dispersed,  that  every  assistance 
should  be  rendered  for  the  liberty  of  the 
nther  man.  Accordingly  they  did  so,  all 
out  three.  The  ship’s  boat  was  then  des- 
patched in  search,  and  soon  found  the  other 
man.  He  was  brought  on  board,  but  in  a 
most  deplorable  condition  with  fever,  from 
the  effects  of  a miserable  subsistence.  These 
two  poor  fellows  were  quite  naked,  under  a 
burning  sun.  They  appeared  to  bear  all  the 
marks  of  their  long  servitude,  and  I should 
suppose  two  or  three  days  would  have  been 
the  end  of  the  last  man  taken  on  board,  but 
from  this  act  of  Providence.  It  appears 
that  these  men  were  wrecked  in  the  ship 
Mentor,  on  the  Pelew  islands,  and  were  pro- 
ceeding with  their  commander  to  some 
Dutch  settlement,  in  one  of  the  Pelew  island 


116 


NARRATIVE. 


canoes,  when  they  got  to  the  afore-mention- 
ed island,  and  were  detained  by  the  natives ; 
and  that  captain  Edward  C.  Barnard  had 
got  on  board  some  ship,  and  reached  Can- 
ton river  shortly  after  their  detention  at  the 
island;  which  has  been  confirmed  by  the 
different  masters  now  at  the  port  of  Lintin. 

“ The  statement  given  in  to  me  by  the  two 
men  runs  thus : — That  they  were  wrecked 
May  21st,  1832,  on  the  Pelew  islands,  and 
detained  on  Lord  North’s  island  6th  Decem- 
ber, 1832.  The  two  men’s  names  are  Ben- 
jamin H.  Nute  and  Horace  Holden.  I should 
thank  any  ship  master  now  in  port,  acquaint- 
ed with  the  circumstance,  to  confirm  it  by 
his  signature,  in  order  to  make  some  provi- 
sion for  those  men,  should  they  require  it. 
But  from  the  disposition  and  liberality  of 
those  American  gentlemen  coming  forward, 
that  are  already  acquainted  with  the  circum- 
stance, perhaps  it  will  be  unnecessary.  At 
the  same  time  I shall  be  very  willing  to 
draw  up  any  form,  or  in  any  other  way  that 
I may  forward  their  views,  according  to  the 
opinion  of  their  American  friends.  I should 


NARRATIVE. 


117 


hope  that  every  vessel  passing  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  afore-mentioned  island,  passing 
any  of  their  boats,  will  give  them  a trifle. 

I gave  them  what  articles  those  two  men 
thought  most  beneficial,  and  should  have 
held  a closer  communication  with  them  had 
I been  better  manned  and  armed. 

Henry  Short,  Barque  Britannia.” 

Never  shall  we  find  words  to  express  our 
joy  at  once  more  finding  ourselves  in  the 
company  of  civilized  men ! Nor  can  we  be 
too  grateful  to  captain  Short,  and  his  offi- 
cers and  crew,  for  their  kind  attentions  dur- 
ing our  passage  to  Lintin.  Every  thing  in 
their  power  was  done  to  restore  our  health  *r 
and  strength,  and  to  render  us  comfortable. 
On  arriving  at  Lintin  we  found  ourselves 
sufficiently  recovered  to  be  able  to  pass  up 
the  river  to  Canton.  We  remained  there, 
at  the  factories,  under  medical  treatment^ 
until  the  ship  Morrison,  of  New  York,  was 
ready  to  sail ; when  we  took  passage  in  her 
for  our  native  country,  and  arrived  in  New 
York  on  the  5th  day  of  May,  1835. 
f 


IIS 


NARRATIVE. 


In  New  York  we  found  many  kind  friends, 
who  took  a lively  interest  in  our  behalf.  We 
would  particularly  acknowledge  a debt  of 
gratitude  which  we  owe  to  Mr.  John  Mun- 
son, who  opened  his  hospitable  dwelling  for 
our  reception,  and  with  whom  we  tarried  for 
several  weeks.  Assisted  by  the  humane  and 
philanthropic  citizens  of  New  York,  we  have 
been  enabled  to  reach  Boston.  Here  Provi- 
dence has  raised  us  up  warm  friends,  through 
whose  assistance  we  have  been  rendered 
as  comfortable  as  could  under  any  circum- 
stances have  been  expedted. 

In  compliance  with  the  solicitations  of 
many  respectable  gentlemen,  the  foregoing 
narrative  is  submitted  to  the  public,  with 
the  hope  that  it  may  not  be  entirely  unin- 
teresting, and  not  without  use.  Every  state- 
ment may  be  relied  upon  as  strictly  true ; 
and  it  is  believed,  that,  simple  and  unadorn- 
ed as  is  our  story,  it  may  serve  to  afford 
some  information  of  a little  spot  hitherto  sup- 
posed to  be  uninhabited,  and  to  present  to 
view  of  the  curious  and  intelligent  some 
knowledge  of  a portion  of  our  race  among 
whom  no  white  man  has  ever  before  lived. 


NARRATIVE. 


119 


To  captain  Barnard  the  author  of  the 
statements  in  this  narrative  is  under  great 
obligations  for  his  uniformly  kind  treatment 
previous  to  the  loss  of  the  Mentor,  and  dur- 
ing the  whole  time  we  were  together.  We 
have  no  reason  to  doubt,  that  he  did  all  in 
his  power  to  obtain  our  release  from  cap- 
tivity at  the  time  when  he  was  himself  so 
fortunate  as  to  escape ; and  not  the  least 
blame  is  to  be  imputed  to  him  on  account  of 
the  disasters  that  befell  us. 

Of  the  twenty-two  persons  who  composed 
the  ship’s  company  of  the  Mentor  when  she 
sailed  from  New  Bedford,  only  four  have 
returned.  It  has  been  reported,  that  one  of 
the  three  who  was  left  at  the  Pelew  islands 
escaped  a fe  w months  since.  If  such  be  the 
case  only  two  remain  there ; and  it  is  hoped 
that  some  measures  will  soon  be  adopted, 
either  by  the  government  or  by  humane  in- 
dividuals, to  rescue  them  from  their  painful 
and  distressing  situation. 

I cannot  close  this  narrative  without  ex- 
pressing the  most  heart-felt  gratitude  to  that 
kind  Providence  which  has  sustained  us  un- 


120 


NARRATIVE. 


der  trials  and  sufferings  the  most  severe,  and 
returned  us  to  our  homes  and  friends.  And 
may  those  who  have  been  to  us  friends  in- 
deed, find  an  ample  reward  f:>r  their  gene- 
rosity, in  the  consciousness  of  having  been 
influenced  by  those  sentiments  and  feelings 
which  best  adorn  and  dignify  the  human 
character ! 

Boston,  November  1835 


